Aichi Aus-10 Stainless Damascus Clad

Aichi Aus-10 Stainless Damascus Clad

Aichi Aus-10 San Mai with Damascus Stainless Steel Cladding, Made by Sanwa Special Steel company. 

This steel is supplied cold rolled and annealed. It has a smooth surface free of decarburisation or pitting and is soft and easily cut, ground, drilled, and filed. Once polished etch in Hydrochloric and ferric acid to bring out the pattern. 

If you dont micro texture (Hammer while cold/hot) to disrupt the pattern you will get straight layers. 

Aus-10 Is similar to 440C

Chemical Composition 

Carbon – 1.1%

Chromium – 14.00%

Molybdenum – 0.25%

Vanadium – 0.25%

Nickel – 0.49%

Manganese – 0.50%

Silicon – 0.50%

Iron – Balance

Toughness 6/10 

Edge retention 5/10 

Corrosion resistance 7/10 

Recommended heat treatment

• Coat blade in an anti scale compound or seal in double crimped 321 or 309 grade stainless steel tool wrap
• Austenitise – heat to 1040°C and hold for 30 minutes
• Quench between aluminium plates, or air quench, or oil quench
• Temper at 150-230°C for 2 hours, twice, depending on desired hardness

Approximate as-quenched hardness before tempering:

• 1040°C followed by cooling to room temperature 60HRC

Recommended working hardness 59-60HRC

NOTE

A low and long temper is recommended after your normal temper ~100c for 2+ hours to releive any additional stress in the blade and reduce core delamination possibly