?? about temperlines and tool steels

[XxBOSSMANxX]

Ok,up until this time I have only used files and rasps as blade stock(W-2)I have gotten the process of producing an attractive temperline in this steel down pat.....(use red devil furnace cement,make small ribs down from spine toward edge 3/4" apart,staying at least 1/4" from edge,and loading cement thickly on spine,heat till non-magnetic,quench in veggie oil,grind to 320,dip in 50/50 ferric chloride-water mix,polish to 600 grit,dip in 10% ferric chloride,buff,dip in 10% mix again)
I`m now ready to start using bar stock steel for my knives,in fact I just ordered 6 feet of 1095 from admiral.
Will this process work with 1095?is there any part of the process I should change?would it work better with O-1 or 5160?
I need to get away from the files as stock,I just hit every pawn shop in town and the file department was looking kinda thin.
I feel good enough about my grinds that I no longer feel that buying bar stock is a gamble.
What have you guys found works best as far as temperlines go,with different tool steels???????
Thanks in advance for any replies,
Bossman

 

[TJ Smith]

Try 1084 I get a good visable temper line without etching.It comes annealed and is pretty easy to grind.
Take Care
TJ Smith

 

[R.W.Clark]

You will get the most visable hamons out of the 10 series steels. I played around with O1 about two weeks ago. While I was able to get the hamon I wanted, it just was not as visible as I would like. I have found that it is better to go to a full mirror and then lightly etch and then hand polish with either powdered pumice or Flitz.

For a little flashier hamon you might try playing with laying out the clay in criss crossing angles. With a little practice the hamons can get really wild.

 

[Ed Caffrey]

1095 can be finicky about producing good temper lines. As suggested, 1084 seems to be a better canidate if your looking for temper lines. I achieve great results without clay type heat treats, by simply edge hardening blades, the lightly etching in ferric. The lines will not be wavy with this method, but I also think that a wavy temper line looks out of place unless the knife design is traditional japanese style.