Guide to Repurposed Steel for Knife Making

Product/Service Opportunity Identified:

Need: Knife makers, especially hobbyists, often come across or are given 'found steel' (like the 'Dissteel C' planner blades in the example) and find it challenging to figure out what it's made of and whether it's suitable for making knives. This leads to a lot of uncertainty about heat treatment and can result in wasted effort. They really want to avoid spending time on materials that won't work well.

Product Suggestion: A specialized online database and guide for knife makers focused on identifying and using found or repurposed steel. This resource would include:

• A searchable catalog of common brand names, markings (e.g., "Dissteel C"), and typical sources of found steel (e.g., industrial planer blades, saw blades, files, leaf springs).
• Information on likely steel compositions associated with these markings and sources.
• Guidance on simple identification tests (e.g., spark tests, fracture grain, hardness testing with files).
• Specific heat treatment recipes (annealing, hardening, tempering) tailored for knife making applications for the identified steels.
• Assessment of suitability for knife making (e.g., edge retention, toughness, workability).
• A user-contributed data and verification section.

Expected Benefit: This resource would give knife makers the confidence to identify and use found steel effectively, significantly reducing wasted materials, time, and effort from trial and error. It would lead to more successful knife making projects, potential cost savings by safely repurposing materials, and a deeper understanding of steel metallurgy relevant to their craft.