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Forum Index > Off-topic Talk > Are there any drawbacks to stainless hilt fittings? Reply to topic
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Sam Arwas




Location: Australia
Joined: 02 Dec 2015

Posts: 92

PostPosted: Fri 01 Feb, 2019 8:18 pm    Post subject: Are there any drawbacks to stainless hilt fittings?         Reply with quote

Modern replicas don't use historical steel for the blade so why shouldn't guards and pommels be stainless?
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Mikko Kuusirati




Location: Finland
Joined: 16 Nov 2004
Reading list: 13 books

Posts: 1,081

PostPosted: Fri 01 Feb, 2019 8:32 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Many mass produced lines do in fact use stainless fittings.

Off the top of my head, one big drawback of stainless steel is also its main advantage, namely that it doesn't oxidize like regular steel - it doesn't take well to etching, doesn't develop the same kind of attractive patina over time, etc.

"And sin, young man, is when you treat people like things. Including yourself. That's what sin is."
— Terry Pratchett, Carpe Jugulum
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Harry Marinakis




PostPosted: Sun 03 Feb, 2019 3:41 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Stainless is very difficult to forge compared with mild steel
Firesteel Designs
Hand-crafted good lovingly infused with hemoglobin
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Victor R.




Location: Klein, Texas
Joined: 28 Jan 2008
Reading list: 4 books

Posts: 348

PostPosted: Mon 04 Feb, 2019 2:36 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

If the modern steel being used for the blade is stainless, sure, why not. It's already been mentioned that it's harder to work, won't take a patina or true etch, and it is less forgiving in the long run if you're going to use it as a sparing weapon. However, if the steel used for the blade is "modern" but relatively analogous to historic steel (not stainless or some other non-natural alloy or an alloy not seen during the period of the sword represented), I'd want the fittings to use a steel analogous to the historic steel as well; or bronze. While I do have a Windlass that has a stainless blade and very historic powder coating on the pot-metal fittings, it is the only such sword I have and keep it as a reminder that historically truer is better. At least for me.
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Glen A Cleeton




Location: Nipmuc USA
Joined: 21 Aug 2003

Posts: 1,968

PostPosted: Tue 05 Feb, 2019 6:52 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Hanwei uses a lot of stainless



Stainless steel might be better regarded as corrosion resistant



The result in these images are from applying a solution of hydrochloric acid, selenious acid and copper sulfate



Ranging from mottled gray to glossy black, the "rusty" look in the first photo is the copper sulfate effect.



This particular solution is from Caswell Plating and labeled (appropriately) stainless steel blackener.

https://www.caswellplating.com/stainless-steel-blackener-8-fl-oz.html
https://emeraldcoatings.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/stainless-steel-blackener.pdf

I have seen applications reaching near jet black glossy but I was going for more of a distressed mottled finish.

Cheers
GC
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Chad Arnow
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PostPosted: Tue 05 Feb, 2019 7:22 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

The general consensus on stainless sword blades is that it's hard to get the heat treatment such that the blade isn't brittle at sword lengths and with edge thin-ness. For solid hilt components that are not long and thin, it can be fine. Albion's Maestro line uses them as do some other makers.
Happy

ChadA

http://chadarnow.com/
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Mikko Kuusirati




Location: Finland
Joined: 16 Nov 2004
Reading list: 13 books

Posts: 1,081

PostPosted: Tue 05 Feb, 2019 7:54 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Glen A Cleeton wrote:
Stainless steel might be better regarded as corrosion resistant

Indeed - "stainless" doesn't mean the steel won't stain at all, but that it stains less. Happy

"And sin, young man, is when you treat people like things. Including yourself. That's what sin is."
— Terry Pratchett, Carpe Jugulum
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Glen A Cleeton




Location: Nipmuc USA
Joined: 21 Aug 2003

Posts: 1,968

PostPosted: Tue 05 Feb, 2019 11:51 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Big Grin With rostfrei being...........?
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Baard H




Location: Norway
Joined: 13 Mar 2013

Posts: 102

PostPosted: Fri 22 Feb, 2019 11:15 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Glen A Cleeton wrote:
Big Grin With rostfrei being...........?


Why, it's free rust of course!

At kveldi skal dag leyfa,
konu, er brennd er,
mćki, er reyndr er,
mey, er gefin er,
ís, er yfir kemr,
öl, er drukkit er.
-Hávamál, vísa 81
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Timo Nieminen




Location: Brisbane, Australia
Joined: 08 May 2009
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PostPosted: Fri 22 Feb, 2019 7:46 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Chad Arnow wrote:
The general consensus on stainless sword blades is that it's hard to get the heat treatment such that the blade isn't brittle at sword lengths and with edge thin-ness. For solid hilt components that are not long and thin, it can be fine.


... and since you don't care about edge retention for the hilt components (since they don't get sharpened), you can use a low-carbon stainless alloy that will be very tough.

For such stainless steels, Charpy impact energies of 150-160J are not unsual - that's possibly 10 times the fracture energy of the blade (assuming a steel like 1060 or 1070 hardened and tempered to about 50HRC (at which point, a Charpy impact energy of about 20J is typical, and if the steel is left somewhat harder (but still tempered reasonably), perhaps 15J)).

"In addition to being efficient, all pole arms were quite nice to look at." - Cherney Berg, A hideous history of weapons, Collier 1963.
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