Full Answer
What company makes the best heat treated blades?
Other companies known for doing good heat treat of S30V like Buck and Strider use Bos or his processes. I have S30V blades from Benchmade, Spyderco, and Buck. The Buck S30V performs measurably better than the blades from the other makers. Click to expand... May I ask, what is your measure of performance?
Should you heat treat your knives?
This has some truth to it as knifemakers who use a subpar heat treatment will certainly have subpar performance. However, the heat treatment can only do so much. No heat treatment is capable of making high carbide CPM 15V into a high toughness steel. No heat treatment can turn 1095 carbon steel into a stainless.
Who is the best steel heat treater?
For commercial heat treating no one beat Peters at this time. Its not anything easy for vacuum heat treat to get steel like 3V to 63HRC but Peters can do that if you want. Brad can do any steel to any realistically attainable hardness and he will do straightening on high alloy too.
Do ultra heat treated knives really make a difference?
Somewhat of an extension of the above myth is the legend of the knifemaker who has a super ultra heat treatment that leads to double the toughness, triple the edge retention, etc. and if your knives don’t have such a heat treatment they are never going to be as good.
How much does it cost to heat treat a knife?
This process, known as tempering, can be done over a fire or using a blowtorch, but the simplest method is to put it in your oven at 400℉ for two one-hour cycles, letting the knife cool between each one.
What is the best steel for heat treating?
The most popular of the 300-series steels—304 stainless steel— is revered for its very good corrosion resistance and is commonly used in cookware. Martensitic stainless steels can be hardened via heat treatment; how hard they can get depends on their carbon content.
Is Damascus steel heat treated?
Proper Thermal Processing or Heat Treatment (HT) is essential for making a high performance blade. Geometry and steel selection are very important as well, but without correct HT toughness and the ability to hold an edge will be lacking.
What is the easiest tool steel to heat treat?
A: Here's our list of the top 4 easiest blade steels to heat treat:1084.15N20.8670.80CrV2.
What can go wrong during heat treatment?
MOST OF THE PROBLEMS in heat- treated parts are attributed to faulty heat- treatment practices (such as overheating and burning, and nonuniform heating and quench- ing), deficiency in the grade of steels used, part defect, improper grinding, and/or poor part design.
Does heat treating prevent rust?
A Rust Resistant Finish Simply put, the passivation process makes the steel rust resistant. That's because the heat treatment equipment produces magnetite, which is a Fe3O4 black iron oxide compound, not the Fe2O3 red oxide that's commonly known as 'Rust.
Is Damascus steel the strongest?
High quality Damascus steel is not the strongest metal you can get. For most projects and uses, though, it's plenty strong and durable.
Is 1095 carbon steel good for knives?
1095 Steel for Knives 1095 steel, when used in knives, holds a great edge and is very easy to sharpen. However, the properties of this type of steel give it a tendency to easily rust if not oiled and deliberately cared for.
Do you have to heat treat 1095 steel?
0:218:20How to Easily Heat Treat 1095 High Carbon Steel for Knife MakingYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThat's very hard you're going to want to soften that or anneal it first before working it to do thatMoreThat's very hard you're going to want to soften that or anneal it first before working it to do that you basically heat it up to non-magnetic. And then let it cool at room temperature.
What is the toughest tool steel?
The hardest and therefore the most abrasion resistant carbides typically found in tool steels are the vanadium carbides.
What temperature do you temper a knife at?
To reduce the brittleness, the material is tempered, usually by heating it to 175–350°C (347–662°F) for 2 hours, which results in a hardness of 53–63 HRC and a good balance between sharpness retention, grindability and toughness.
Can you heat treat with a forge?
1084 is known as being very easy to heat treat in a forge because of its low alloy content and good hardenability (doesn't have to be quenched as fast as 1095).
What steels can you harden?
Only steel that is high in carbon can be hardened and tempered. If a metal does not contain the necessary quantity of carbon, then its crystalline structure cannot be broken, and therefore the physical makeup of the steel cannot be altered. Frequently, the term "hardening" is associated with tempered steel.
How do you heat treat 4140 steel?
Heat Treatment AISI 4140 alloy steel is heated at 845°C (1550°F) followed by quenching in oil. Before hardening, it can be normalized by heating it at 913°C (1675°F) for a long period of time, followed by air cooling.
What is 5160 high carbon steel?
Alloy Steel 5160, also sold as AISI 5160, is a high carbon and chromium spring steel. It offers users outstanding toughness, a high level of ductility, and excellent fatigue resistance. Alloy Steel 5160 is in use in the automotive field in a number of different heavy spring applications, especially for leaf springs.
Can I heat treat steel at home?
Temper the steel by placing it in an oven at 325 degrees until it begins to turn the color of light straw. Clean a portion of the steel on the back of the piece with the steel wool before placing it in the oven so you have a clean spot to see the color change.
Where are a sailor's knives made?
All of their knives are of high quality steel whether made in USA, Japan, China, or Taiwan. And they are the best when it comes to new and exotic designs. Their new carbonless nitrogen based H-1 salt series blades are rust and corrosion free.
Is Becker knife good?
Becker knives are an amazing value for the money. Fantastic, well thought out designs make them exceedingly useful in the field, on a hike, at the campsite, or around the house. The blades come razor sharp out of the box, hold up under ridiculous abuse and are easy to sharpen.
Is Ka Bar a benchmade knife?
Ka-Bar is a legend. Should be in 1st place, since they have the tools, they have the experience. They are the most known knives and they are affordable. Benchmade is a quality company, but I don't know anyone owning a benchmade knife.
What is heat treatment facility?
Our heat treatment facility comes with a state-of-the-art laboratory that grants us the ability to inspect knives to diagnose issues such as cracking, warping, chipping, and early wear. With our laboratory, we can identify any knife issue your facility may have, and provide a solution that will keep you running at maximum efficiency.
Does American Quicksilver use heat treatment?
American Quicksilver is one of the only knife companies supplying North America that performs heat treatment in-house. Our state-of-the-art facility allows us to heat treat using oil treatment or using nitrogen atmosphere, and includes annealing capabilities. If you have specific needs for knife hardness, then American Quicksilver is your answer. We don’t outsource any portion of our process to other companies. We keep a close eye on every aspect of the industrial knife-making process, ensuring that our knives adhere to the highest level of quality. Our in-house capabilities allow us to maintain more consistent part hardness by utilizing in-process inspections, which we do on all of our orders.
Which is easier to heat treat: low alloy steels or simple steels?
8. Simple steels are easier to heat treat. Low alloy steels are easier to harden without a soak at the hardening temperature, which facilitates hardening in a forge without temperature control. However, they are no easier to achieve good properties than high alloy steels.
Why is a longer hold time better for knives?
Therefore, using a longer hold time can lead to more consistent hardness both within a single knife and between different knives.
What is the most important factor in knife performance?
1. Heat Treating is the most important factor for high performance knives. This one started out along the lines of “even the best steel will perform poorly if given a bad heat treatment,” and that I can’t disagree with too much. However, it has become somewhat fashionable to talk about knife performance as entirely (or almost entirely) controlled by the knifemaker’s skill in heat treatment. This has some truth to it as knifemakers who use a subpar heat treatment will certainly have subpar performance. However, the heat treatment can only do so much. No heat treatment is capable of making high carbide CPM 15V into a high toughness steel. No heat treatment can turn 1095 carbon steel into a stainless. And I would argue that the single most important factor for knife performance is the edge geometry rather than the steel selection or heat treatment. The edge geometry greatly controls the cutting ability and edge retention of the knife and also resistance to chipping and rolling. The image below shows measured edge retention of 154CM knives with different edge angles so you can see the vast difference in measured performance (higher number means more cardstock cut). Of course, focusing on any one of these factors at the expense of the others: steel selection, heat treatment, and edge geometry, is a mistake and each should be optimized for the given knife. But if we were to pick one factor that is the “most important” I’m not sure that heat treatment would be the one.
What temperature does steel go to Curie?
With most low alloy knife steels, the steel transforms to austenite before reaching Curie, and therefore the nonmagnetic temperature is significantly lower, usually somewhere in the range of 1350-1380°F. You can read more about Curie in this article. 10. Normalize steel by using descending temperatures.
What temperature is used for grain refinement?
Grain refinement can then be performed at lower temperatures, just above austenite formation such as in the range of 1375-1450°F. Lower temperatures typically mean a smaller grain size. However, the intermediate temperatures like 1500°F don’t do a particularly great job of accomplishing either of these goals.
What does it mean when a knife is harder than a file?
So if the knife is harder than the file that means the file can’t cut it . Files can be purchased which are rated at certain hardness levels though often a generic file is used.
Can heat treatment turn 1095 carbon steel into stainless steel?
No heat treatment is capable of making high carbide CPM 15V into a high toughness steel. No heat treatment can turn 1095 carbon steel into a stainless. And I would argue that the single most important factor for knife performance is the edge geometry rather than the steel selection or heat treatment.
What Is Heat Treating?
The Best Steel Makes The Best Blades
- We are known for our blades. Buck is a market leader in edge retention thanks to our steel selections and heat treat process pioneered by industry famous, Paul Bos, whose heat treating system has proven to be the best in the business. Each blade is put through a rigorous heat treat process and quality performance test. It is then tempered to the ap...
About Paul Bos
- The heat treat expert he had sought out and who became Paul's mentor was a wonderful old blacksmith from Kansas City, who ran the heat treat system for Star Heat Treat and Fishing Supplies in San Diego. So, while he was still in high school, he went to work there. His main task was making fish hooks, but his mentor taught Paul all he knew about the proper heat treat proce…
About Paul Farner
- When Bos retired, he entrusted the business to none other than, heat treat expert, Paul Farner. Farner worked alongside Bos for over 10 years, learning the key aspects of the heat treat process. Paul Farner first began working for Buck Knives in 1994, while the Buck Knives factory was still located in El Cajon, California. During the winter months, Farner recalls the temperature in the he…