what is tool steel and does it function better than carbon or spring steel?
It depends on the tool steel you are referring to and the function of the sword. L6 steel is a modern tool steel that a few smiths are using (Howard Clark, MAS, etc.), which produces some amazing swords that are both tough and flexible, but very few smiths are qualified to work with it and it is easy to screw up the heat treatment. T10 is another tool steel used by a few larger manufacturers (Paul Chen, etc.), which has a very high carbon content and includes a tungsten ally which makes it very tough and a little more resilient then 1095 carbon steel, however, as with any very high carbon steel, they may be durable but may also chip or break. 1060 and 1075 is the standard steel for most modern production swords since they provide a good balance between hardness, and durability. Spring steel is good if you are concerned about a sword taking a lateral bend, but is only really necessary if you do a lot of tameshigiri and have not yet developed a consistent hasuji.
Yes, its good for machining, but it needs to be hardened once machined. Steel in itself is very weak, but when tempered it can become 10x stronger. Once shaped, heat the sword with a torch until it starts to change color, then dip it into a vat of oil, not water, and the rapid cooling when reform the atoms of the steel. Heres an article about the process:
NO. Tool steel is very hard and brittle. Carbon spring steel is better but rusts. Stainless steel is weather resistant. A mix like those for knives are good. For the ultimate, do the japanese way of folding it hundreds of times, then, use three different types of steel. For the center and the back a softer and flexible steel, for the edge hard to keep its edge, and an outer layer to take some weathering.
Tool okorder for some ideas on stuff that tool steel can be made into.
