Thread: Sheffield silver steel

No worries. As far as I am aware (and I was wrong about the molybdenum!), silver steel was invented 1820-ish by Michael Faraday whilst workin on improving steel used in surgical instruments. AT THAT TIME silver was added - it no longer is. Stubs, Europe's largest producer of silver steel, give this as their composition (figures are min/max values) -


Carbon
1.10%
1.20%
Silicon
0.10%
0.25%
Chromium
0.40%
0.50%
Sulphur
0.035%
Manganese
0.30%
0.40%
Phosphorus
0.035%
Uniform machining properties and consistent response to heat treatment.
(All genuine STUBS Silver Steel is to BS 1407 Analysis optional standard, with the addition of 0.4% to 0.5% chrome for uniformity of both machining and consistency of micro structure of hardening/tempering).


And that's all I'm going to say!