What Is the Easiest Steel to Forge? (In-depth Analysis)

One of the very important things for a beginner blacksmith is choosing the right steel to work with. With so many different types of steel on the market, you can easily choose the wrong one. In this article, I will talk about the easiest steel in terms of its “forge ability”, meaning how hard it is to physically deform with a hammer.

So, what is the easiest steel to forge?

Mild steel is typically considered the easiest metal you can forge. Due to its low-carbon content, it is easy to shape with a hammer, making it ideal for beginner blacksmiths. The level of carbon in mild steel ranges from 0.1 to 0.3%. The higher amount of carbon, the harder the steel.

Next, I will discuss factors that influence steel forge ability and more on what makes mild steel so easy to forge.

Factors that influence the “forge ability” of steel

As you may already know, some steels are harder to forge than others. If you ever worked with some tool steel or stainless steel, you know exactly what I am talking about. For instance, forging a blade out of tungsten would be almost impossible to do.

What makes some steel either hard or easy to forge, primarily depends on the following factors:

  • Temperature
  • Carbides
  • Alloying elements
  • Ductility

Let’s start with the first one.

1. Temperature

This one is very simple: the higher the temperature, the less stress is required to shape the steel. In practice, you know that when you heat the steel more, it is much easier to work with. Usually, high alloy steel requires higher temperatures and therefore they are harder to forge.

2. Carbides

Carbides are defined as compounds composed of carbon and electronegative elements. They are typically distinguished by their chemical bonding. Carbides are prepared from metals at very high temperatures (1500°C or even higher) by combining carbon with metal. Generally, the more carbides, the more difficult is to forge steel.

SteelCarbides (%)
10950.0
51600.0
O10.0
521000.0
AEB-L4.3
440C9.0
S125V25.7
*Estimated carbide volume fraction at 1000°C

3. Alloying elements

The amount and type of alloying elements have a large effect on the forge ability of steel. Namely, many pieces of research show that high alloy steels raise the difficulty of forging. To be even more precise, chromium has been shown to have the largest effect. Other alloys like Cr and Ni are found to decrease the amount of stress required for forging. Mn and Si typically increase the difficulty of forging. Since mild steel is low-alloy steel, it makes sense it is easy to forge.

4. Ductility

Ductility refers to the amount of strain the steel can withstand before cracking. Usually, the ductility increases as the strength decrease and the temperature go up. Note that every steel has its temperature beyond which the ductility increases. Grain growth has a great impact on reduced ductility at high temperatures. Melting of grain is another factor that leads to a reduction in ductility at high temperatures.

Why do beginner blacksmiths commonly use mild steel?

When you enter the world of blacksmithing, you have so many things to learn. One of them is choosing the right steel for projects. If you choose the wrong material for a particular project, chances are you probably won’t do very well.

Mild steel is commonly used among beginner blacksmiths because it is both easily available and easy to forge. Mild steel is also considered a general-purpose material, meaning you can do many different projects from it. It is also cheap, which makes it even more convenient for beginners.

Note that mild steel is actually low-carbon steel. It is one of the most popular steels for construction purposes. It is strong steel and it is generally made from readily available natural materials. It contains carbon in the range of 0.1-0.3%. Due to its low carbon content, it is very easy to work with, whether is it in cold or hot conditions. Because of its low cost, it is usually used when a large amount of steel is required.

1018 steel is one of the most popular grades of mild steel. It offers a good balance of toughness, ductility, and strength for most blacksmithing projects. Its low carbon content makes it ideal for machining, which means it is easily machined, formed, and cut without much effort. In terms of welding, mild steel is ideal because of its low amount of carbon. Keep in mind that the higher level of hardness is required, the more carbon is added to the metal. On the other hand, the harder the steel is, there is a higher chance of cracking.

Mild steel is also very popular for making various blacksmithing tongs, including tongs, punches, drifts, and hammers. Most blacksmithing tools have to be tough and strong rather than hard and mild steel provides just that. 

However, mild steel should not be used for knifemaking purposes because it is almost impossible to achieve the hardness level required for a knife. Instead, it is usually used for things like hooks, bottle openers, and meat screwers which don’t require a high level of hardness.

Other steels that are easy to forge

At the beginning of the article, I mentioned the effect of alloying elements on the forge ability of steel. We learned that low-alloy steel is more forgeable than high-alloy steel. Knowing that, here are some of the most popular steels used in blacksmithing:

  • 1084 steel
  • 1095 steel
  • 5160 steel
  • 01 steel

1084 steel

1084 steel is one of the most popular steels used for knifemaking purposes. It is especially popular among beginners, mainly due to the simplicity of the heat-treating process. 1084 is high carbon steel that has a decent shock resistance but unfortunately low wear resistance. So, if you plan to make a blade out of it, make sure to take care of it.

This steel can go to 60 HRC, which is a great hardness level for edge retention. Due to the absence of chromium, it has low corrosion resistance. The lack of chromium content makes it also easier to forge. When it comes to toughness we know that the harder the steel is, the lower its toughness which means decent toughness in this case.

1095 steel

As you already know, this steel contains 0.95% of carbon, which is considered very high. Despite the wear reduction, this steel is not as tough as other common steels primarily due to the low manganese content. 1095 high carbon steel is commonly used for knifemaking because blades made from it hold a great edge and they are also very easy to sharpen.

On the other side, the mechanical properties of 1095 steel make it more likely to rust if not maintained properly. This steel is also more brittle than others which makes it good for slightly thicker blades. 1095 steel is not appropriate for tool making. The good news is that 1095 can be heat treated to increase its overall hardness and strength. However, heat treatment should be precisely done to avoid the possibility of cracking.

5160 steel

5160 is a high-carbon spring steel that offers a high level of ductility and outstanding toughness. It contains 0.9% chromium, 0.6% carbon, and 1% manganese. It has been widely used by swordsmiths and knifemakers due to its unique mechanical properties. 5160 is by far one of the most popular steels among forgers than anyone else. It holds a good edge while remaining flexible.

01 steel

O1 is known as tool steel and it is one of the most forgiving for making knives. It is low alloy steel which makes it great for forging. The largest alloy is manganese at 1.2% which is not much. It contains 0.95% carbon, 0.4$ silicon, 0.5% chromium, and some others.

O1 steel doesn’t require a complicated heat-treating process and this is why it is considered one of the most versatile steel. Because of its toughness, it slows the machining process which makes it ideal for beginners.

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