Are kiln cooling/reheat times factored into soak times for hardening steel?

[hathegkla]

My electric kiln cools down a couple hundred degrees every time I open the door to put in a knife and it probably takes a little under 10 minutes or so to get back up to temperature. If I'm trying to harden some 1095 at 1500F should I quench after 10 minutes when the blade has probably only been at 1500 for a couple minutes or should I only start the soak time once the oven has fully come up to temperature (with the knife in it).

 

[SBuzek]

Start soak time when the blade reaches 1500,once my kiln reaches 1500 I soak for 10 min.
Stan

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

As Stan said, the time at the target temp is the soak time. Ramp and cool times are not part of that.

 

[hathegkla]

great, thanks for the help.