when to heat treat, before after grind?

[Zeke/PA]

When I was making knives on a semi-professional basis, I did ALL the rough grinding- hole drilling stuff PRIOR to PROFESSIONAL heat treating.
I used the "full tang" approach for my knives so ALL the holes for the slabs,the hilt and the "thong hole" were already there before heat treating.
With a home built belt grinder, hollow grinding, the "rough" grind/pre heat treat blade was about .030", at the edge which allowed me quite a bit for final finishing and polishing.
I used MOSTLY O-1 Oil hardening tool steel for my blades and quite frankly, an O-1 blade is ALL that ANYONE needs.
Wanna jump up a notch?
D-2 is an EXECPTIONAL knife steel which is SADLY overlooked
Don't know why ??

 

[lobo9er]

The metal i am using as of now is old farm eqiupment I have found on my property old wagon wheels and such. Is there any way of telling what kind of steel it is? It heats up and glows nice bright yellow/orange. Its probably not the best knife making stuff but for fun its great and it was free.

 

[Zeke/PA]

Google "spark test" for info on this method of determining a Carbon alloy.
Any "blade" type tool is usually High Carbon.
A Blacksmithing friend uses circular saw blades in knifemaking and a great steel for knives is discarded rotary mower blades.

 

[hso]

Springs should be good, but wheels are probably mild steel and probably won't harden.