Knife Making:
New line of CPM-3V violin knives
coming soon! See below.
Violin makers need
sharp tools. The highest quality blades are required. For an introduction
to blade making, Navaching is
good place to start. David Tseng, a violin maker in Winnepeg, has been making
blades out of A2 steel. He leaves them untempered. You can investigate A2 steel
at Crucible Steel. The temperature
before quenching is 950 C. This is a bright yellow heat. I water
quench. Also, the steel should be wrapped with stainless steel foil to
keep out oxygen and other gases. A supplier I have used with success is Flatground.com.
Oct. 23, 2009
A2 steel blade, 1/16" x 1/2" x 6 inches was placed in
Stainless foil and heated to 970 C for 5 minutes in kiln. It was then air
cooled with air blast from a vacuum cleaner. Resultant knife seems very sharp. I
would liked to have done 30 minutes of "soaking" at 970C, but it did not work
out. I wonder if soaking is necessary.
June 7, 2011
Comment by Steve Davis on the hard
O-1 knife I made for him:
August 26, 2011
My new line of violin knives
will be available soon. Introductory price is $20.00!
These knives are of CPM-3V steel. Steve Elliott has tested this steel and found
it to be superior to A2 cryo blades in toughness and durability. His
results can be found here.
Thanks Streve! My own tests agree with Steve's. I tested M2, A2
cryo, O-1, "gold blades," and Swedish steel blades. Here is Steve's chart:
Sept. 21, 2011
The knives are now available. I have only 27
left. Place your order by sending an email to me, please.
email: jpschmidt44@gmail.com