26C3 Carbon Steel - Spicy White

Skiller1nc said:
Very impressive, are you willing to share your heat treat process?
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1550F 10 minutes air cool
1400F 12 minutes quench in fast oil
1200F 1.30 hours air cool
1475F 10 minutes quench in fast oil
Double tempering at 350-375F for one hour each.
 
You guys supply GFS who I get my stock from right? The 2.2 mil stuff is cut clean into bar stock. But the thicker 6mm bars look like they were cut with a chainsaw, my last bar had what only can be described as tank track imprint left in wet cement, running down the middle of the bar it's entire length. it was about 1mm deep into the steel. I had to surface grind it and ended up losing thickness in the tang which I didn't want.
Whoever is cutting that thicker barstock, needs to drink whisky after his shift not before it starts lol.
I'm still buying more, just saying, the last bar I got was a mess.
 
Does anyone successfully heat treat 26c3 in a forge? I UNDERSTAND A KILN IS BETTER. But is this like 01 where a forge works great or like stainless where a forge won’t work at all?
 
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Dominick Maone said:
Does anyone successfully heat treat 26c3 in a forge? I UNDERSTAND A KILN IS BETTER. But is this like 01 where a forge works great or like stainless where a forge won’t work at all?
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Its too easy to put too much carbon in solution with 26c3 without temperature control. if you put too much carbon in solution the knife is going to be junk regardless of the hardness.

That's why people recommend simple steels with the carbon content closer to the eutectoid for poor temperature control. So that if you overshoot and put too much carbon in solution at least you can get a blade that may still function.

What advantage does 26c3 offer if it's going to be bottomed out to soft, brittle junk?
 
Alex Topfer said:
I seem to have had good results heat treating it in a forge. Should be fine provided you have had some experience at forge heat treating
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Just some curious questions but how good are your results? Have you done any testing? Also, what kinda quenchant are you using?
 
oops, should have been a bit more specific. i don't have sophisticated testing equipment.
I've been getting over 60rc based on hardness files, and the steel feels noticeably harder than say 5160. subjectively they take a fine edge and hold it well.
I mostly used canola oil, but i think i did one or two in water. i was working with 2.8mm stock (before forging), for thicker stock i agree you want to go with water.
 
I don't want to start a HT war here but want to point out that hardness isn't everything.
Glass is as hard and can be sharper than most knife steel but makes a very poor knife.
Hard rubber is many times tougher than the best knife steel but won't cut worth a darn.

The proper structure, carbide size, alloy placement, and carbon distribution are what a proper HT gives you.
 
Has anyone tried austenizing at like 1500 or so and or cryo? I know warren mention he was going to try it but I don't think he ever posted if he did.
 
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