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blgoode

blgoode

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Thought I'd share since many say a torch can't properly heat treat simple carbon steel. Allow proper soak time and temper twice at 425 and that's all I do with my 0-1.



Hey Brian,

Was playing around with some knives and doing some cutting tests with a friend who is into custom knives and ridiculously priced folders...

Showed him some of your knives and did some tests and he was blown away... kudo's to you and your knives...

I was wondering, if it's not a trade secret, where you get your o-1 from and what kind of heat treat you do on them... your edge blew away a $800 custom forged japanese knife and some of my zero grind scandi knives.... and they hold up better....

Anyway... hope all is well...

Let me know if you need anything from Hawaii

Take Care,

Craig
 
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That is great. O1 is a great blade steel and a lot of makers have used forges and torches to do heat treat for decades without thermometers. It can be done, and makes a great blade no matter what some say.
 
There is more than one way to "skin a cat" my friend. The proof is in the pudding,er cutting. ;)

Mike Broach
 
blgoode said:
Thought I'd share since many say a torch can't properly heat treat simple carbon steel. Allow proper soak time and temper twice at 425 and that's all I do with my 0-1.



Hey Brian,

Was playing around with some knives and doing some cutting tests with a friend who is into custom knives and ridiculously priced folders...

Showed him some of your knives and did some tests and he was blown away... kudo's to you and your knives...

I was wondering, if it's not a trade secret, where you get your o-1 from and what kind of heat treat you do on them... your edge blew away a $800 custom forged japanese knife and some of my zero grind scandi knives.... and they hold up better....

Anyway... hope all is well...

Let me know if you need anything from Hawaii

Take Care,

Craig
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brian, that goes to show you what the naysayers know about heat treating :D. when done properly you can end up with one heck of a knife. i have had quite a few similar emails sent to me.

are you like me and only heat treat by color or do you use a magnet?
 
Only going by color. Trying to juggle a magnet in my opinion isn't as beneficial and learning how not to over heat or under soak.
 
I don't think anybody is saying that you can't make a good knife using a torch. Your geometry and grinding prowess go a long way into edge performance, brother. I heat treated blades in my forge for years and will still put any one of them into a challenge next to blades done in a salt pot. With a good pre-HT regime and an experienced eye you can make a damn good blade. That much is clear from the great feedback you got. That's not to say that I don't think I am making better knives now that I have a controlled kiln. Testing is a funny thing. It can only tell you so much about the true nature of your blades. Most knives will never be used to the point where the subtle attributes of "nailing a HT" can be observed. Brian, I've never seen you as someone who needed to claim superior performance or damn engineered quenchants and digital kilns. You have always been a humble guy who makes kick-ass knives. But there are those that do and take it even further by claiming things that just aren't true. The metallurgy is there and is what it is... trouble starts when either side starts overstepping their bounds, making claims that aren't/can't be backed with evidence. I have been guilty of this many times and am trying to rid my vocabulary of words like "proper", "best", "superior", etc...

I am not trying to take anything away from the performance of your blades... I just don't see this as testament to modern metallurgy being full of it.

ETA: I hope that came across the way I intended. I have much respect for you, Brian and would feel bad if I ticked you off.
 
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I hear ya Rick! My foundation for my knives has actually been that 0-1 is an old formula for tool steel and that formula is still around because is simply works.

I mainly posted this to say grab a good steel, use what you have to heat treat it and bam! You can build a damn nice working blade. I also posted this because a couple of years a thread was posted that mixed things up to the point that if I was a newby and read that I would have possibly never grabbed a torch to attempt heat at all.

Mainly I just wanted to say if you want to make a great knife you don't have to have high doller super steels and equipment. Enjoy making with what you have and you will be fine with a little research and proper heat treat. :)
 
blgoode said:
Mainly I just wanted to say if you want to make a great knife you don't have to have high doller super steels and equipment. Enjoy making with what you have and you will be fine with a little research and proper heat treat. :)
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I'll agree with that, Bud... go with whatever gives you the results you want. Be honest to yourself, your craft and have fun! Cheers.
 
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