[TheForge] More Museum Madness

[Peter Hirst]

Thanks for everyone's tips on dealing with the museum.  Here's a new twist.  I submitted a steel flint striker to the education department there and got an interesting response.  "It looks very good, but is it all steel or irone with a steeled edge?     Actually, I made the whole thing from 1045, with max hardness (About R50C) on the striking edge and straw tempered elsewhere). I thought it was pretty good, but they insist that even so amll an item as a striker should be steeled. This from the organization that sells machined scissors stamped "CHINA" in its crafts center as colonial reproductions. But they are buying and i am selling ,SO just to humor them I said I woulod look into steeling the edge, but can't find out anythng specific about the process.   

The business ende of this item is about 3/16 x 3/8 x 3 1/2, one of the long edges being the striking surface.  Couple of questions:  

Would I split the thin edge to insert the steel or fold the piece  over the steel?

What combination of mild and high carbon steels can I reasonbly expect to forge weld in this configuration, and are there any special problems, other than the obvious mechanical ones of  size that i need to look out for.  I am willing to do this by trial and error, but would refer whatever guidance I can scare up.  

Thanks.