Silver Steel

Anyone tried forging it? I’m guessing it’s going to be tougher to work than mild steel. Also, is it Basically the same as O1?

Update. Actually I’ve been thinking about this some more and I can machine what I have in mind rather than using than resorting to heating it up and using my anvil!

I thought you gents called "silver steel" what us yanks call "drill rod"? Which would be O1 and W1, for me. I forged it once. I only needed a slight dogleg in a piece and it was tough.

Silver steel forges just fine, as long as it is still above red hot when struck by the hammer. After shaping, I have then heated the part in an oven an and then cooled slowly in the oven. After this have finished the shape and then heat treated it. Silver steel I have always called Stubbs W1, the water quench material. The oil Quench I always call it O1 and Not Silver steel.

Forging a piece of silver steel was the very first exercise I did as an apprentice nearly sixty years ago. Under the tutoring of the apprentice instructor four of us had to produce a fairly basic screwdriver from 1/4" dia silver steel, the end being flared out to maybe 3/8" wide. The other end was forged into a tapered square section which was later burnt into a file handle, lots of smoke and smells! The blade was then hardened and tempered, polished and I'm sorry to say never ever used as a screwdriver but it did teach me quite a lot about silver steel. Phil