I wasn't sure where on INGO to post this, and since there are some very knowledgeable metalsmiths and knife makers here.... I'm asking you all, first. BTW, over a year ago, I posted a thread on "that other Indiana-based gun-related website"... with pics and details of this, and no one there had a clue what I have.
About a year-and-a-half ago, I ordered a very small amount of D2 stainless for making some knife blades (which I'll admit, I've not made yet). The longest piece I order was 15" long. But when the package arrived, it was in a 39" long 3"x3" carton.....and this piece of metal was sent with my 'blade steel'. In fact, it had punctured the end of the box, and was sticking out about an inch or so.
Since I hadn't ordered this, or even knew what it was..... I contacted the vendor, and asked what they knew about it, why it was sent to me, and if they wanted to send a pre-paid postage label for me to return it to them. Surprisingly, when they responded, they said they did not want it returned; didn't know why it was sent to me... and that I could keep it.
Here's some info:
* The 'bar' of metal is exactly 37.5" long, tip to tip
* It is exactly 5/16"x5/16" square
* It has 'rounded' cone-shaped ends
* It weighs exactly 1 lb
* It is very slightly magnetic (attracted to a strong magnet)
* The surface is very shiny, like the nickel plating on some firearms
* Except for on the cone-shaped tips, it shows no visible milling marks
* It is "self-healing" (YES, you read that right, It is self-healing, like some of the space-age super alloys)
I know it is self-healing because, I swear on my rep..... I sanded and ground on this bar (after doing much research on the net, trying to I.D. it.....and even more research, after). When I sanded the area that is 'lighter colored' in pics 3, 4 & 5......it didn't leave any sanding dust. Just barely dis-colored the sandpaper I used on it. After sanding it, the next day I took a medium course 1.5" grinding wheel (in my drill) to it..... for about 3 minutes solid! The grinding put a 'divot' in the side of the bar, that was 5/8" long and easily 1/8" deep in the center. Again, there was very little dust/residue from doing this. My reason for doing the grinding, was to see what the 'interior' of this metal looked like. It was kind of 'crystalline-looking'.... for lack of a better description.
The next evening, I went to my shop, looked at the bar of metal..... and that ground 'divot', had healed! The only visible sign of my having ground on this, were very tiny 'stress cracks'. (See pic #4) The area I ground the divot in.... has a ball-point pen pointing at it, in the pic. When I put a straight edge across that area of the surface, it was (and still is) ....completely flush!
So, anyone here got any clue what I might have here? All I can figure (from my extensive research), is that it might be a nickel/silver/steel alloy.....
About a year-and-a-half ago, I ordered a very small amount of D2 stainless for making some knife blades (which I'll admit, I've not made yet). The longest piece I order was 15" long. But when the package arrived, it was in a 39" long 3"x3" carton.....and this piece of metal was sent with my 'blade steel'. In fact, it had punctured the end of the box, and was sticking out about an inch or so.
Since I hadn't ordered this, or even knew what it was..... I contacted the vendor, and asked what they knew about it, why it was sent to me, and if they wanted to send a pre-paid postage label for me to return it to them. Surprisingly, when they responded, they said they did not want it returned; didn't know why it was sent to me... and that I could keep it.
Here's some info:
* The 'bar' of metal is exactly 37.5" long, tip to tip
* It is exactly 5/16"x5/16" square
* It has 'rounded' cone-shaped ends
* It weighs exactly 1 lb
* It is very slightly magnetic (attracted to a strong magnet)
* The surface is very shiny, like the nickel plating on some firearms
* Except for on the cone-shaped tips, it shows no visible milling marks
* It is "self-healing" (YES, you read that right, It is self-healing, like some of the space-age super alloys)
I know it is self-healing because, I swear on my rep..... I sanded and ground on this bar (after doing much research on the net, trying to I.D. it.....and even more research, after). When I sanded the area that is 'lighter colored' in pics 3, 4 & 5......it didn't leave any sanding dust. Just barely dis-colored the sandpaper I used on it. After sanding it, the next day I took a medium course 1.5" grinding wheel (in my drill) to it..... for about 3 minutes solid! The grinding put a 'divot' in the side of the bar, that was 5/8" long and easily 1/8" deep in the center. Again, there was very little dust/residue from doing this. My reason for doing the grinding, was to see what the 'interior' of this metal looked like. It was kind of 'crystalline-looking'.... for lack of a better description.
The next evening, I went to my shop, looked at the bar of metal..... and that ground 'divot', had healed! The only visible sign of my having ground on this, were very tiny 'stress cracks'. (See pic #4) The area I ground the divot in.... has a ball-point pen pointing at it, in the pic. When I put a straight edge across that area of the surface, it was (and still is) ....completely flush!
So, anyone here got any clue what I might have here? All I can figure (from my extensive research), is that it might be a nickel/silver/steel alloy.....
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