Hey, all! its been a really long time since I've logged on, but hopefully, this year, I can be more active on the forums. That said, I was wondering, does anyone (particularly the makers) know what temperature I should temper a blunt steel sparring sword to? I'm getting my feet wet, as it were, and I was wondering if I could get some advice, or input. It'll likely be made of 5160, and will be for my study of the scottish highland regimental style of broadsword play. (I'm studying under Christopher Scott Thompson in the Cateran Society online program) I realize that there is no need to temper for edge retention capabilities, but I am wondering if I temper to a blue, if it will then be too soft? thanks!

Well, my next would be my first but there is more to it than that. Raising it to a specific temperature and held at that for a specific time, then quenching (or marquenching) and then tempering. Tempering would be at a temperature somewhere between 300-500 f and held for a given period.

There are color charts for tempering but stock would arrive to you annealed/soft and raising it to a straw yellow would be approaching tempering temperature but not hardening the steel to then be a "spring temper". Tempering follows heat treating.

There is a lot of data and charts out there for heat treating that will explain it a lot better than my observations. Differential hardening and differential tempering more terms to grasp.

Many outsource heat treating the blades they grind, Years ago, a friend was getting his 5160 from a spring shop and getting the blades heat treated at the same source.

Cheers
GC

I can and have heat treated my own work before, I guess my question would be better stated that, given that the blade will have no edge, do I temper as if it did? or should I temper at a higher temperature, given that it needs to be flexible rather than sharp?

Yes. You must at a higher temperature. It will be more flexible.

Heat treatment of 5160 us well known and documented.

A Google search will provide you with data for proper heat treatment of that steel.

The first requirement of a sparring sword is that it MUST NOT BREAK. Edge hardening is not a consideration, unless you want to chew up the other fellow's weapon. Temper it like a car spring. The only reason for a heat treat is to prevent it from bending instead of flexing. I forged my one and only (long) sword out of an old car spring and never did heat treat it. I have fought with it many times, and it has held up just fine, despite its delicate lines. Maybe it could be bent, but it has never happened.