1095 heat treat question

ColeKiraKnives

ColeKiraKnives

Joined
Mar 27, 2017
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I'm heat treating a bushcraft knife in 1095. Well, I did the first heat treat at 475f for 2 hours and after putting it in for the second cycle, I fell asleep for a few hours due to a horrible migraine. So it sat for another 4 hours at 475f. Is this going to be an issue or help toughen the blade?
 
I don't think that will be issue. When blade bent in quenching , one of the way to straighten is to clamp in some device and put in oven on temper temperature .Sometimes it takes a many attempts /long time in oven/ to straight blade ..... triple temper :) There are experts here who know this much better, wait for their answer, My answer is just guessing ;)
 
When you say heat treat, you mean temper, correct?

It will definitely be softer than it should be if its a small bush-craft. That doesn't mean it won't work as a knife, it will just have less edge holding ability.

Btw, 475 is high for a bushcraft. I normally go 360-420*F. Use higher temps for blades you want to have higher toughness, like large choppers.
 
I'm aiming for 58-ish HRC, hence the 475, what scale do you use? And yes, I meant temper. Still hurting from the migraine.
 
No, I meant what chart for temperature? I think using 1095 with a sabre grind for a bush blade @ 58hrc is a good choice. What hardness do you aim for on bushcraft blades?
 
Honesty, I don't use a chart. I go by my common sense and experience.

I prefer knives on the harder side. I would go about 60-63 HRC with a bushcraft knives. What is the blade length and thickness of your knife?

Assuming you blade size you would want 61-62 HRC. 400*F is good for that. And if it is a larger blade, do a second cycle
 
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With 1095 I normally do 2, 2 hour cycles but I fell asleep. My question is, is tempering a knife for so long going to result in a negative?
 
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Thanks guys, I didn't think so. My migraine hit me so hard yesterday I couldn't think straight. I was so out of it until this morning.
 
Spalted said:
How would 4 hours vs 2 hours in temper make it tougher if its done at the same temperature ?
Click to expand...


Temp makes a quick difference in tempering, whereas time makes a difference much slower. I’ve forgotten a blade in temper overnight, and seen a 1/2 point Rc difference, if that, compared to a regular temper. You just need to temper long enough to get the transformation you are looking for. Going longer makes little difference.
 
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