My first attempt at a stainless steel San-Mai blade

[Tom Lewis]

Thanks to Ed Caffrey and Bill Burke for information they gave on making stainless San-Mai.
This was my first attempt. It's a core of 1084 between two layers of 410 stainless. I thought about using my ladder die on the blank, but have heard that it's easy to separate the 1084 and the stainless so I didn't.
I would like more of a ladder pattern. Any suggestions?

 

[Karl B. Andersen]

These are from using drawing dies.
It's also a great visualization of what's happening inside your steel when using drawing dies.

 

[Tom Lewis]

Karl, you make the most beautiful stainless San-Mai I have ever seen. Thanks for the pictures.
What shape are your drawing dies?
If I used ladder pattern dies do you think the billet would separate?
Also, after grinding off the stainless fire scale, I can see why some leave it on.

 

[Karl B. Andersen]

I don't think you'd want to use ladder dies - would you?
Won't you just end up with stripes?
I have no idea how you make you billets or from what.
I would run mine through, but I don't think I'd like the effect.

 

[Tom Lewis]

Karl, thanks for the answer. I made a SanMai blade of wrought iron and 1082 and used my ladder pattern dies on it. It turned out like this.

I was thinking if the ladder dies worked on the San-Mai stainless billet it would have a good pattern.
My billet is 3/16 " 410 ss on the outside and the inside is 1/4" 0-1 steel. (In my first post I said I use 1084, but that was wrong.)

 

[Karl B. Andersen]

What I would do is press the ladder in a little earlier. The press back flat and reduce to final thickness. That way you don't have the outer jacket going all the way to the edge.
You don't want that 'cause it won't harden.

 

[Tom Lewis]

Karl, thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Karl B. Andersen]

If you press the ladder in too late in the bar forming process, and then forge it back flat, when you grind your bevel, you don't get all the way through the jacket portion.
Just press it in earlier.
Also, the stainless doesn't move the same amount as the tool steel. You can literally squeeze your core so thin that you can never find it.

 

[Tom Lewis]

Thanks, Karl, I will follow your suggestion.

 

[Rick Otts]

Great job!