Question on planer knives

[Bob Vavricka]

I have a 20" Delta planer that I bought used. It came with an extra set of knives and looking at the spare set it looks like the cutting edge is an insert. Is this an high speed insert for the cutting edge in a carbon steel blade? That's what it appears to be to me. It that common? blade.jpg

[Andrew Hughes]

It looks like carbide insert.I had a set from infinity not as big as yours.I really liked them they cut great.
Could be your lucky day carbide knives are pricey.

[Wayne Lomman]

I agree. Looks like carbide. Use them as your main set and keep the others ad spare unless of course your other set is the same! Cheers

[Bob Vaughan]

That laminated steel could as well be HSS instead of carbide. Over the years, I've seen a lot of high speed steel knives made that way, usually from Asian sources.

Carbide will have a blue-ish tint to the metal surface. That photo doesn't look like carbide to me, but light reflections on photographs can be deceiving.