L6

Circular saws, Wood cutting band saws, Chipper & planer blades! I would say that they needed a steel that could cut heavy fibrous materials in high impact situations and L6 fit the bill. This one is a real winner for heavy chopping and cutting with larger blades. It doesn’t have the high abrasion resistance that some others have and can probably be outdone in a skinning knife or hunter. But for a blend of edge holding and shock resistance this one would be hard to beat.

There is no trouble with getting this steel hard. In fact the one draw back to this steel that must be pointed out is getting it soft. It requires fairly tight and versatile temperature controls to anneal this stuff with confidence. Heating it up and stuffing it in wood ashes will result in the ruination of every drill bit and file that you own. For this fact this steel may be a bit daunting to beginners.

The Crucible® stuff that is discussed here only comes in rounds so you should be prepared to forge it. Carpenter® makes L6 in flats but it’s chemistry is different enough that you shouldn’t use the same parameters. The main difference is Molybdenum in the Crucible® L6. This will make it a little quicker in the hardening and a bit slower in the softening (tempering).

Click on the appropriate link below to go the the Crucible Service Center or Admiral Steels L6 page:

Admiral Steel®: L6
Crucible Service Center®: L6