Is 5160 a good steel for a katana???


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Is 5160 a good steel for a katana???

by joe dacciaio
(lindenwold new jersey)

QUESTION: I saw a katana made out of 5160 steel is that a good steel for a katana and how would it compare to 9260 in terms of toughness???

ANSWER: Hi Joe,

It depends...

5160 is good steel, spring steel - used in truck springs and the like. It tends to be used more on tough European swords (Gen 2 uses it alot) but would make a good monosteel Katana...

HOWEVER (and as you can see - it is a BIG however), much depends on how it is heat treated. Part of the reason Cheness 9260 Spring Steel is so good is because of their heat treating. Much also depends on the quality of the steel to begin with. Some companies use crap steel (sometimes even recycled steel) and that is an absolute no no.

So by itself, just saying it is 5160 Spring Steel is only the beginning of evaluating the sword. Everything else depends on how and especially important WHO made it...

Hope this helps.

- Paul

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Is 5160 a good steel for a katana???

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Feb 03, 2012

other springsteels ... NEW
by: Gerard

I have got:

-Katana WKC Golden Dragonfly No Hi/Folded steel 30"
-Katana WKC Practical Dragonfly No Hi/Spring steel (C55Si7 - USA: Steel 1055) 28"
- Katana Cheness Yamakami SGC 28"
- Hanwei (the other Paul Chen) Raptor/5160) 30"

All the mentioned katana's have their specific geometry and specific uses. Sofar my folded steel WKC katana and springsteel WKC Wak's dont show any deterioration of the used steels.

The same for the Cheness Yamakami.

The Hanwei/Paul Chen Katana Raptor Nambokucho Zukuri is susceptible to rust.

All other katana's above come clear with a clean cloth. The Hanwei katana raptor ..... a black cloth.

For Tamashigiri WKC 1055 springsteel Katana's are on par with the Raptor 5160 springsteel katana's
Related to the rust -issue I would go for katana which is less susceptible to rust. For me WKC or the Cheness 9260.
Hanwei raptor Katana ......... gave mine away to the school. Buying another Hanwei Raptor ? .... not likely.

Gerard

Feb 03, 2012

Raptor series NEW
by: Gerard

I have got:

-Katana WKC Golden Dragonfly No Hi/Folded steel 30"
-Katana WKC Practical Dragonfly No Hi/Spring steel (C55Si7 - USA: Steel 1055) 28"
- Katana Cheness Yamakami SGC 28"
- Hanwei (the other Paul Chen) Raptor/5160) 30"

All the mentioned katana's have their specific geometry and specific uses. Sofar my folded steel WKC katana and springsteel WKC Wak's dont show any deterioration of the used steels.

The same for the Cheness Yamakami.

The Hanwei/Paul Chen Katana Raptor Nambokucho Zukuri is susceptible to rust.

All other katana's above come clear with a clean cloth. The Hanwei katana raptor ..... a black cloth.

For Tamashigiri WKC 1055 springsteel Katana's are on par with the Raptor 5160 springsteel katana's
Related to the rust -issue I would go for katana which is less susceptible to rust. For me WKC or the Cheness 9260.
Hanwei raptor Katana ......... gave mine away to the school. Buying another Hanwei Raptor ? .... not likely.

Gerard

Sep 26, 2011

5160 Raptor katana steel hanwei
by: Alberto

The raptor katanas of hanwei are made of 5160, and the heat tratment is really well made.

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