When you work with steel, there are multiple aspects of the process you always need to keep in mind. The durability of the final product, the conditions it’s going to be used under, the kind of care the project in question requires, and the care the final product should regularly receive, are all questions you need to answer. All of these questions, and more, are constantly on the mind of steelworkers before they begin a new project. Depending on the answers to those questions, that steelworker will choose different varieties of steel for projects under different conditions. But why? It has to do with the different physical properties of steel varieties, and how they interact to specific external stimuli.
The majority of the steel available for sale through William Engineering is used for very specific purposes—namely knifemaking. This is due to the unique properties shared by our two different steel offerings: Damascus and San Mai. These two steels are unique thanks to the method by which they’re created—a process that uses our solid phase bonding technology. These solid phase bonded steels have a higher than average level of durability, even when cut down to extremely sharp points. This combination of durability and precision makes both types of steel ideal for knifemaking.
For San Mai bars we select core materials specifically for the knifemakers’ skill and preference. Choices range from traditional high carbon steels, which are easy to heat and treat, to more sophisticated powdered metals that offer superior edge retention, but require more complicated heat treating and advanced grinding techniques.
If you want to start a project of your own, determine what physical properties of steel you need the final product to have, and choose your steel variety accordingly. With William Engineering, you’ll get the help you need to make that planned project into a reality.