1095 blade finishing questions

grelcar

grelcar

Joined
Dec 30, 2007
Messages
268
I did a search and couldn’t really find the information I was looking for.
I am getting my first blades ready to send of for heat treating. I have 5 blades now and may try to do a couple of more before sending them out. All of the blades are made from 1095 steel. I hand filed the bevels using a homemade filing jig. I drilled the holes for the handles. I have sanded the blades to 400 grit. I left the cutting edges at about .020”. Is there anything I still need to do before sending these blades off to be heat treated?

When I get the blades back I assume I will have to temper them as well as clean the scale from them. What order should I do this in? What is the best way to clean them up?

These are the first blades I have made so I have no experience at having them heat treated. I was going to call a couple of places mentioned on this forum. Anyone have any personal recommendations of who to use?
On another note I want to try making some blade in stainless. How much more difficult is working with something like CPM 154 than working with 1095? I had no problem with using a hacksaw and 4” angle grinder to cutout the 1095 blades and filing them by hand seemed to go okay although it is a slow process.

I appreciate any advice anyone might have. I have learned a lot from reading in this forum.

Greg
 
I'd suggest sending your knives to Peter's Heat Treat. They also temper them, so you will not need to do this when you get them back. There should be little, if any scale.

Working with stainless isn't much different than working with 1095. Minimal difference.
 
Drill any holes that are needed in the handle. Make sure they are large enough for whatever is going to go through them.

- LonePine
Alias Paul Meske
 
Mitchell Knives said:
I'd suggest sending your knives to Peter's Heat Treat. They also temper them, so you will not need to do this when you get them back. There should be little, if any scale.

Working with stainless isn't much different than working with 1095. Minimal difference.
Click to expand...

I agree completely. Peters' is one of the few firms that will do oil-hardening steels like 1095 as well as stainless steels. They will temper to any reasonable Rc hardness you desire. Your blades will come back quite clean so you can go ahead and polish them up as much as you like now while the steel is soft and save time later.
 
Thanks for the responses. I was concerned that I would have to start the sanding process all over again after I get them back from heat treating. I will probably go ahead and make up the rest of the 1095 I have into blades before I send them out as the cost would be the same.

Greg
 
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