Chefs Knife FAILED 1st bent blade

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Seals

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Oct 12, 2007
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As is on par for me,i have to screw it up at least once to learn.I decided to try making a chefs knife patterned after an Old Hickory i like to use.Mine is 3/32" 1095 and hollow ground.All went well until the quench when i realized my tank was too small.I was able to quench the full edge ,but not the whole blade.I ended up finishing the quench in my grinding water bucket.Right away i saw the bend down the spine and a little different slight bend in the blade.Kind of a twist maybe.I went ahead and finished the knife.Its gonna be a good test piece i guess.Seems to cut well.After telling my wife about the incident,she went and dug out this old electric coffee maker she retired from her office.It would hold a 12" knife on an angle and it has the heating element built in.Do you guys think this would be a good quench tank?Is not being able to quench the full blade what caused the bend?Or maybe the water?o well...
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Little late now, but you could have clamped straight against a straight edge and tempered at slightly lower than your intended goal. It would have probably been straight, if not, then clamp with shims a little past where you want it and temper at a slightly higher temp. It usually works for me.


Jerry
 
Tank looks great, should work a treat but you need to use a good quenching oil instead of water.

When you quench next time don't swish the blade side to side that can cause the blade to bend.

Richard
 
Yea,I thought about those bent blade threads i didnt read.
nthe10ring said:
Little late now, but you could have clamped straight against a straight edge and tempered at slightly lower than your intended goal. It would have probably been straight, if not, then clamp with shims a little past where you want it and temper at a slightly higher temp. It usually works for me.


Jerry
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Couple of things, first the coffee pot looks like a winner. Second, i hope you don't actually use that glass cutting board for cutting!? It will dull a knife faster than you can imagine. Lastly, should you be trusted with knives if you keep bandages and antiseptic on your kitchen counter? Or maybe you shouldn't be trusted with the cooking!

Sorry I cant help you much on your crooked blade, but it sure finished out nice! What is the handle material?


-Xander
 
water is quite aggressive

still... i'd take the handle scales off... put in temper oven at tempering temp....hold for 2 hours n try to bend it straight with some thick leather welding gloves.... --- if not, then use a bending jig in your leg vise.... (which consist of two half rounds on one side of the jaw, and another half round in the middle on the opposite side ..... so when you turn the vise closed it will pinch the blade at the high point of the bend, then push it back straight again and then just a tad more
-- hard to explain without a diagram

- with some luck... it'll straighten nicely... i've done this successfully on several occasions... then i put the blade back in the temper for awhile ... somehow i think it releaves abit of stress from the bending but i know its not truly so... needs higher temp for that (or so i've read )

good luck
Greg

if it goes south... make more knives ! isn't that the beauty of what we do.. !!
 
every one talks about how kitchen knives are less work cause there less grinding (they still have a nice sized fail rate)

i get a bent one now and then and i make lots of kitchen knives (air hardening steel no less)
 
I think kitchen knives are the most challenging that I make. Not only is it hard to grind on thin steel like that, but the ht is tough too. Especially if you for ss.
 
Bandaids were yesterdays drama!Cut the crap outa my thumb on an old KaBar i was restoring.I generally always have a cut healing.Second,the cutting board.Wife says its a good thing i know how to sharpen them then.I dont have a lot of sway inside the house i have to admit.Handle material is Corion with black micarta pins.
fast14riot said:
Couple of things, first the coffee pot looks like a winner. Second, i hope you don't actually use that glass cutting board for cutting!? It will dull a knife faster than you can imagine. Lastly, should you be trusted with knives if you keep bandages and antiseptic on your kitchen counter? Or maybe you shouldn't be trusted with the cooking!

Sorry I cant help you much on your crooked blade, but it sure finished out nice! What is the handle material?


-Xander
Click to expand...
 
Try this... Take the scales off, and then clamp the knife to a STRAIGHT piece of steel. straitening out that curve. Now put it in your temper oven, with the clamp attached, for 2 - 2 hour cycles of tempering. It hopefully, WILL relax and straighten.

Jason
 
^ This methond works great. I've used it quite a few times and I'm very grateful to whoever it was that came up with it.
 
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