Avoiding warpage with chisel ground carbon steel?

[Mitchell Knives]

I've made a few chisel ground blades from 1095 in the past, and all of them warped to some degree or another. I'm now thinking about making a few kiradashis from some 1095 and 5160 that I have laying around. Does anyone have any suggestions as how to best avoid warpage during heat treat?

Thanks!

 

[Sam Salvati]

Heat treat then grind.

 

[Mitchell Knives]

Heat treat then grind.

That's what I do with my stainless knives, but I was under the impression that
this wasn't a good idea for a shallow hardening steel like 1095.

Can carbon steels like 1095 really be heat treated before being ground?

 

[Sam Salvati]

what thickness and HT process do you use for 10-- steels?

 

[richard j]

try an edge quench.

 

[Mitchell Knives]

Most of my 1095 is 1/8 stock. I occasionally use 3/16. All are small blades with an OAL of 8 inches or less.

For HT, I take the 1095 up to 1475 - 1500 and let it soak for about 5 minutes. Quench in vegetable and mineral oil.

 

[richard j]

are you keeping the blades straight the whole time they are in the oven? are they laying flat or on the edge?

 

[Mitchell Knives]

They are laying on the spine, edge up.

The double ground blades don't warp too bad, but the chisel ground ones are quite noticable.

 

[richard j]

i make a lot of chisel grind blades and i do an edge quench. i make mine from 3/16" 1075.