# Ehh... Stainless steel chisel?



## Alexandre (May 26, 2012)

Hey guys- 
Was just wondering if a Stainless steel chisel was possible…
Probably with 318 surgical grade stainless steel and hollow ground?
I have a piece lying around.
Should I make one to try?
Comments, suggestions, tips are appreciated!


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Carbon steel is preferred generally because it is not
hard to sharpen and holds an edge well. It's also
cheaper I think. I know there are some fine stainless
steels but the stainless knives I have used don't
seem to hold an edge very well - which isn't a big deal
in the kitchen but for cutting wood it matters.


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

Stainless is too soft to hold an edge well.


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## Alexandre (May 26, 2012)

Ehh, 318 stainless steel is pretty hard… Harder then Bi-metal and basically, to drill stainless steel, you need LOTS OF LUBRICANTS and a cobalt drill bit.
Also, Stainless steel doesn't rust.
I'll probably start building one, and get a rough bevel using 80 grit wet/dry sandpaper.
WISH ME LUCK 
More comments, tips and suggestions are APPRECIATED!


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

318 stainless is soft.
All of the 300 series are very good for corosion resistance, tough and hard to drill, but still soft.
It contains about 8% chromium which is hard, but about 18% nickel which is very soft.
Also, the 300 series have very low carbon can not be hardened.

The 400 series have higher levels of carbon and can be hardened. That is why they are used in knives.
Even the hardest stainless is only around 55 to 60 rockwell C hardness which is at the low end of what makes a good chisel or knife.

I wouldn't waste my time on a stainless chisel. It will be very hard to sharpen and will lose its edge very fast.
Even the 400 series, like surgical 440 steel will loose its edge quicker than carbon steel and will be horroble to sharpen.


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

Alexandre , You seem to have already convinced yourself to make it so…...

*Do what you want to do , you're going to anyway !*


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## vipond33 (Jul 25, 2011)

I have seen stainless steel chisels, used by bone surgeons and they are very pretty with sculpted solid steel handles, but they exist only for two reasons. One is they can be autoclaved to death again and again, the other is that somebody else sharpens them every single time they are used. Does this sound like you?


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

A stainless steel chisel would be the smart choice, when carving table centerpiece ice sculptures for a wedding or party. If I had the stock, I'd try it!


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## Alexandre (May 26, 2012)

Yup!
It's gonna be a chisel with:
A maple handle.
5-6" long blade
25 degree bevel.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

I think I have a couple SS chisels. Stanley Atha ones, both are Cold Chisels. Never had a spot of rust on them, ever. 3/8", and 1/2" wide.


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

sounds like you'll make it anyways.

but for sake of keeping this thread informative - a SS chisel is a horrible idea for woodworking - the edge will be lost quickly and it'll be a pain to resharpen as opposed to CS. it is good for application that might be dealing with moisture induced environments, and in those cases those edges are kept sharp more often than a WW might want to work on it.

now - I know it sounds like a great idea so that you won't have rust on your chisels in theory , but in practice, if you use your tools, and care for them - you won't get rust on your CS chisels either - I have never had any rust on mine - and none are stainless.

I'd personally find a better use for that SS stock, but thats me…


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Experience is the hard way to learn things, but sometimes appropriate. I think this may be one of those times. That said, I hope it works out for you Alexandre.


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## Alexandre (May 26, 2012)

Ehh, What should I use for that SS stock?


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## Alexandre (May 26, 2012)

I was planing to make a SS chisel to do some ice carving in the cold canadian winters if the ss chisel doesn't hold up well for woodworking.


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## marvinlee (May 28, 2012)

Three years later…... Lee Valley now has a 440 stainless steel "Perfect Pattern" chisel. It comes individually and in a set. No information is given as to the type of 440: A, B, or C. Type C is considered by many the only acceptable stainless steel for cutting. A number of alloys exist which, though not being explicitly labeled "stainless steel" do have good corrosion resistance. SV30 is one such steel and it is highly regarded by many knife makers.


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## bridgerberdel (Dec 31, 2014)

Lee Valley's PMv11 is powder metallurgy stainless. It's generally accepted as a good tool steel, though a bit hard for sharpening with natural stones


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## NicHartman (Apr 5, 2015)

I've no idea why you're all against stainless steels. Sure, they were terrible for a long time but metallurgy has come a long way since the days of all stainless being useless. Sure, they're mostly much harder to sharpen, so say good bye to your natural stones if you wanna use them, but they have better corrosion resistance along with variable traits other than hardness based on carbon content and general treatment of the steel in the tempering process. New age knife steels have taken their place in the high end knives by storm, no competition from carbon steel for anything other than your damascus variants. New stainless steels would make good chisels, I'd be my last dime on it. Maybe they're a bit harder to sharpen, maybe a bit more likely to chip, but still good chisels.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

I don't know why I'd want something harder to sharpen and only has moderate corrosion resistance. What am I gaining?

Grade 440C stainless steel is a high carbon martensitic stainless steel. It has high strength, moderate corrosion resistance, and good hardness and wear resistance. Grade 440C is capable of attaining, after heat treatment, the highest strength, hardness and wear resistance of all the stainless alloys.

http://www.beartechalloys.com/440-stainless-steel.html


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## marvinlee (May 28, 2012)

> Three years later…... Lee Valley now has a 440 stainless steel "Perfect Pattern" chisel. It comes individually and in a set. No information is given as to the type of 440: A, B, or C. Type C is considered by many the only acceptable stainless steel for cutting. A number of alloys exist which, though not being explicitly labeled "stainless steel" do have good corrosion resistance. SV30 is one such steel and it is highly regarded by many knife makers.
> 
> - marvinlee


I have recently gotten the Lee Valley set of stainless steel Perfect Pattern chisels. How does one verify if the stainless steel is 440C? My guess-and only a guess-is that it is a Chinese variant of 420 stainless steel, which may have various sub-variations by steel producers. The set is beautiful, though of modest length. Further evaluation awaits a thorough sharpening.


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## marvinlee (May 28, 2012)

> Hey guys-
> Was just wondering if a Stainless steel chisel was possible…
> Probably with 318 surgical grade stainless steel and hollow ground?
> I have a piece lying around.
> ...


 Stainless steel has the potential to make excellent chisels. A specialist variety of stainless steel will work best. Consult the many discussions on custom knife blogs to learn more. One example, of many, is Crucible's S35vn series and there are many more companies and varieties.


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## OSU55 (Dec 14, 2012)

> Lee Valley s PMv11 is powder metallurgy stainless. It s generally accepted as a good tool steel, though a bit hard for sharpening with natural stones
> 
> - bridgerberdel


I'd like to know where you are getting info that pm-v11 is stainless? I sense a new myth starting…..


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## WillliamMSP (Jan 3, 2014)

> I d like to know where you are getting info that pm-v11 is stainless? I sense a new myth starting…..
> 
> - OSU55


In a Popular Woodworking preview on PM-V11, Schwarz says that Lee says that PM-V11 is "more corrosion resistant." It probably didn't need too many re-tellings to go from that to "stainless."


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## ArtMann (Mar 1, 2016)

I have carried a Swiss Army knife manufactured by Victorinox for over 30 years. The stainless blades are easy to sharpen but they stay sharp for a very short period of time. Also, the metal is so soft that I have to replace the knife every 3 or 4 years due to wear. The usefulness of the knife makes it well worth replacing often.

Very few truly high quality knives or chisels are made of stainless steel. There has to be a reason for that.


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## mike02130 (Jul 23, 2016)

Sure make it, why not. All should encourage him. He'll learn for himself if it works or not. No codling.


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