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1.2604 (better than 1.2235)

1.2604 (better than 1.2235)
1.2604 (better than 1.2235)
1.2604 (better than 1.2235)
1.2604 (better than 1.2235)
€9,95
* Incl. tax Excl. Shipping costs
Article number:
4-5-6
Delivery time:
1-2 business days

A very tough and yet wear-resistant tool steel that can be optimally adjusted to the desired hardness and toughness. Perfect for powerful work knives, cleavers, machetes, swords, bushcraft knives Etc. Read more..

1-2 business days

In the knife making scene, 1.2235 is a widely used steel when it comes to making powerful work knives or cleavers. This would not be the case if 1.2235 were not an excellent steel for this application.

Nevertheless, in the course of my work as a knife smith, I came across a steel that is even better suited for the above-mentioned area of ​​application than 1.2235.

The 1.2604 / 73WCrMoV2-2

The reason why 1.2604 is largely unknown is primarily that large-scale industry often asks for the cheaper 1.2235. The 1.2604 is therefore only rarely produced and is relatively difficult to obtain.

What advantages does the 1.2604 offer over the 1.2235:

- It achieves the same working hardness and toughness as 1.2235, but offers better wear resistance due to the smaller and harder tungsten carbides. With the same hardness and toughness, it stays sharp longer than 1.2235.

- Due to the addition of 0.3% molybdenum, the steel, unlike 1.2235, can be tempered in the entire temperature range between 180 °C and 400 °C degrees without having to fear the effect of blue brittleness (loss of hardness and impact strength between 220 °C and 360 °C). This allows the steel to be individually adjusted to the desired hardness and toughness values. Above a tempering temperature of 220 °C degrees, however, 1.2235 loses a large part of its impact strength (the steel has its lowest impact and notched bar impact work at around 260 °C).

These properties make the steel the first choice for me when it comes to robust work knives, powerful cleavers, machetes swords, bushcraft knives or the like, which should primarily be tough, robust and wear-resistant.

At the same time, the steel can also be used for forgiving and robust kitchen knives.

I myself do not offer a hardening service for the steels I sell. However, I can unreservedly recommend the hardening service of my colleague Jürgen Schanz. He works with a very experienced hardening shop that also carries out demanding heat treatments exactly according to customer requirements. If necessary, contact Jürgen Schanz directly via his contact form.

Attention! The flat material in 9.3mm is partially severely warped by the guillotine. For stock removal, it would have to be fixed beforehand.

Available dimensions:

3,2x40x675mm

3,2x60x675mm

9,3x40x610mm

9,3x60x610mm

Weight:

3,2x40x675mm = 670g

3,2x60x675mm = 1050g

9,3x40x610mm = 1810g

9,3x60x610mm =2690g

Composition:

Carbon:               0,755                          

Silicon:                0,25       

Manganese:         0,54

Chromium:          0,53

Molybenum:        0,30

Vanadium:          0,204

Tungsten:           0,51 

Phosphorus:       0,007

Sulfur:               0,004      

Manufacturing method:

Smelting metallurgy

Corrosion resistance:

Not stainless.

Condition:

Rolled, annealed, sandblasted

Peculiarities:

The material is cut with guillotine shears. Some of the pieces have a greater distortion, but this can easily be straightened out by bending them or using a soft-faced hammer.

The strips with a thickness of 9.1mm show strong warpage.

Recommended heat treatment:

Forging: Form forging (heavy deformation) between 1100 °C and 850 °C. Fine forging (minor deformation) between 850 °C and 750 °C.

Normalize: 2x Heat up to 840 °C and immediately cool in air to below 721 °C (Ar1). Then 3x heat up to 800 °C and immediately quench in oil until the glow color has disappeared.

Soft annealing: hold at 710 °C for approx. 30 minutes, then cool down in the furnace.

Hardening: 820 °C (6-8 min holding time)

Quenching: Oil, AAA-DA or Durixol V35

Tempering: 180 °C to max. 400 °C. 2x one hour each, water cooling in between (360 °C - 400 °C for spring rate).

Achievable hardness: 58-61 hrc. (tempering at 180 °C = approx. 62 hrc / tempering at 300 °C = approx. 58 hrc).

Note: A deep freeze treatment (-70 °C) between hardening and tempering can reduce the retained austenite content and thus increase the working hardness with the same toughness.

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