Steel Wedding Bands

[PayneTrain]

There are a lot of really cool materials for wedding bands being used out there, but I come from this forum so naturally the only thing that makes sense to me is steel. Damascus seems popular, and maybe I'll go that route, but how cool would it be to get some of our favorite knife steels made into wedding bands? Sure, they'd be plain, but so am I. Of course there would be very little benefit to wearing a high volume of vanadium carbide aside from scratch resistance, but since when do we care about practicality? I myself have long thought of a timeless H1 wedding band, but the logistics seem impossible since it's still not available to hobbyists.

Anyone have a cool steel ring, or know where to get a chunk of H1?

[Evil D]

Well, if you look at from a cost perspective you could buy a Pacific for $100 or whatever and destroy the blade making a ring out of it and you'd only be in for $100 for a wedding band...that's super cheap. The question is, how well would that work out and could you successfully form the blade into a ring? Personally I like this idea even more than using bar stock steel to make a ring because then the ring is not just your favorite steel but also literally part of a knife.

[PayneTrain]

Or heck, if I were going to scrap a knife, I'd just get a used beater and it would be even cheaper. I wonder what it's like to rework, though. Probably not bad if you have a hot enough forge and a big enough hammer. Or a small enough hammer...

[TomAiello]

I have a 'stunt ring' made of titanium that I wear most of the time. It was 1/10th the cost of my original (platinum) band, and I am in a lot of situations where the platinum band wasn't ideal.

I've seen a lot of Damascus bands, but never one in H-1. I wonder if you could find someone in Japan who would make one for you?

[Evil D]

Since heat treat damage isn't really concern, you could cut a strip out of the blade and bend it into a circle and weld it at the seam, then sand and smooth and polish it into a proper ring. The weld seam wouldn't be as pretty as a properly forged ring through.

Another option would be to cut the ring out of the blade and then hammer it flat. This might be something more realistic for the average person to do at home with a hammer and a bench vice, the hardest part would be working out the right size for your finger. If you research coin rings there's a similar process done with silver dollar coins.

[cabfrank]

I don't think H1 would be a great option because it scratches very easily.

[yablanowitz]

Since heat treat damage isn't really concern, you could cut a strip out of the blade and bend it into a circle and weld it at the seam, then sand and smooth and polish it into a proper ring. The weld seam wouldn't be as pretty as a properly forged ring through.

Another option would be to cut the ring out of the blade and then hammer it flat. This might be something more realistic for the average person to do at home with a hammer and a bench vice, the hardest part would be working out the right size for your finger. If you research coin rings there's a similar process done with silver dollar coins.

Good luck working hardened steel the way you can work coin silver. There's a pretty huge difference in malleability.

[Evil D]

Since heat treat damage isn't really concern, you could cut a strip out of the blade and bend it into a circle and weld it at the seam, then sand and smooth and polish it into a proper ring. The weld seam wouldn't be as pretty as a properly forged ring through.

Another option would be to cut the ring out of the blade and then hammer it flat. This might be something more realistic for the average person to do at home with a hammer and a bench vice, the hardest part would be working out the right size for your finger. If you research coin rings there's a similar process done with silver dollar coins.

Good luck working hardened steel the way you can work coin silver. There's a pretty huge difference in malleability.

You'd definitely need to heat it up, though I'm not sure even a MAP gas torch would get it hot enough. I'm suddenly tempted to try this out myself, I'm gonna keep an eye out for a junk H1 blade.

[Buddafucco]

Just food for thought... I was carrying sheets of wood with somebody, and they pushed when they should have pulled. I still have all my fingers but I'm glad my gold wedding ring was easy to cut off.

[murphjd25]

Seems kind of tricky perhaps. My wife just got me a new Titanium band for my birthday. It’s already starting to wear and get little snail trails like my Sebenzas.

[Evil D]

Just food for thought... I was carrying sheets of wood with somebody, and they pushed when they should have pulled. I still have all my fingers but I'm glad my gold wedding ring was easy to cut off.

Yeah that's a good point. I can imagine the ER doc trying to cut through work hardening steel thinking WTF why isn't this stuff cutting????

[Buddafucco]

Just food for thought... I was carrying sheets of wood with somebody, and they pushed when they should have pulled. I still have all my fingers but I'm glad my gold wedding ring was easy to cut off.

Yeah that's a good point. I can imagine the ER doc trying to cut through work hardening steel thinking WTF why isn't this stuff cutting????

He'd have to tell the ER doc to break out the diamond abrasive cutting wheel!
Did you have any rings on when your hands swelled up?

[Evil D]

Just food for thought... I was carrying sheets of wood with somebody, and they pushed when they should have pulled. I still have all my fingers but I'm glad my gold wedding ring was easy to cut off.

Yeah that's a good point. I can imagine the ER doc trying to cut through work hardening steel thinking WTF why isn't this stuff cutting????

He'd have to tell the ER doc to break out the diamond abrasive cutting wheel!
Did you have any rings on when your hands swelled up?

Nope I don't wear any, I have in the past but I've had my work gloves yank them off too and I'm also paranoid about accidents. I'd like to have something like this for more casual wear but I probably wouldn't wear it to work.

[PayneTrain]

Yeah, everything has its set of cons. Gold and silver scratch too, tungsten is way harder to grind off, silicone...is silicone. Have you seen these wood ones? Ceramic?! Careful with that one!

They're all silly. Honestly, the whole concept is silly, and not just wearing a ring, I mean marriage! But we do it, and we do the little ring, so might as well have some fun with it, right?

You'd definitely have to heat H1 to work it. I don't know what the working temp is (I'm sure it's high being stainless), but those youtubers with their homemade forges hit some pretty high temps. I bet it could be done at home. Not that I'm gonna try though. I have recently taken the first step and admitted I have problem picking up new hobbies and projects. I need to slow down. You'd think my initials are D.I.Y.

[Doc Dan]

I stopped wearing a wedding ring when I had that bad motorcycle accident. The ring got smashed and they were going to have to cut it off. However, even with a shattered shoulder and broken wrist and hand, I managed to wrench it off, though it hurt like blazes. That made me think of Tungsten since it won't bend. However, if it had to come off and there was some issue, then it would be a real bear to cut off. If you wanted to go with steel, which can leave rust on your fingers, I'd think Vanax or LC200N would be a good choice, better than H1, which will scratch if you look at it.

[Bill1170]

I’ve had to cut a ring off my hand. Gold has a lot to recommend it!

[yablanowitz]

I've worn stainless steel, titanium and K Monel rings off and on for nearly fifty years. Never found one that didn't get scratched up. Kind of nice having a ring that won't deform in my normal routine, but if something catastrophic enough to bend one occurred, it would be easier to cut my finger off and reattach it than to cut through the ring, not something I think I'd enjoy.

And yes, MAPP gas will get steel hot enough to work. Too bad it was discontinued back in 2008. MAP Pro will work for carbon steel, but I haven't tried it for stainless. It should work, though.

[fixall]

I had my ring made out of Damasteel with a titanium liner (since I’m allergic to nickel).

[James Y]

Lifelong bachelor here, so I've never needed or had to wear a ring. Although even if I were married, I don't know if or how much I'd actually wear it. I tried wearing rings just to wear them in the past, and I hate wearing something on my finger. And as others have brought up, I've always wondered if something happened and it became stuck. I value my finger more than a ring.

Jim

[TkoK83Spy]

Lifelong bachelor here, so I've never needed or had to wear a ring. Although even if I were married, I don't know if or how much I'd actually wear it. I tried wearing rings just to wear them in the past, and I hate wearing something on my finger. And as others have brought up, I've always wondered if something happened and it became stuck. I value my finger more than a ring.

Jim

HA...I felt the same. I've never worn a necklace or any kind of jewelry besides a watch. Getting married changed that, and I had a tough time adjusting. Told my wife I would wear it at home or when we were out, but not at work because I'm constantly taking gloves on and off all day long and it gets annoying. Plus in the winter time my fingers shrink and the ring gets a little loose, and actually went flying one day I took my gloves off! (thankfully found it)

Let me tell you when I suggested NOT wearing it...that look from my wife, I knew to never say or ask that again haha! We've been married 3 years now and I've got used to it. I only take it off when I strength train and shower.

My ring is black Tungsten Carbide. Doesn't scratch at all, looks great and I don't think it cost more than $200 maybe? MUCH cheaper than her ring that's for sure!