Easiest "supersteel" to heat treat ?

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Z-Stoff

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Jan 12, 2022
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(This is my first post sorry if it's in the wrong section or whatnot)

I would like to make a small folder out of a supersteel such as Z-max, Maxamet, CPM T15, etc however I only have a charcoal forge....a hand cranked charcoal forge obviously without precise temperature control not to mention the heat treating process for most of these super alloys looks nightmarish on paper even with the correct equipment I'm not necessarily expecting or wanting maximum performance from the steel either I would just like something with a Rockwell hardness over 60 that doesn't require long soak times in a extremely narrow temperature range

(I really appreciate all the suggestions/criticism/ideas from you guys but I would like to clarify that I have already heat treated probably hundreds of parts and a handful of knives made of plain carbon 10 series steel and low alloy steels like 52100
 
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Z-Stoff said:
(This is my first post sorry if it's in the wrong section or whatnot)

I would like to make a small folder out of a supersteel such as Z-max, Maxamet, CPM T15, etc however I only have a charcoal forge....a hand cranked charcoal forge obviously without precise temperature control not to mention the heat treating process for most of these super alloys looks nightmarish on paper even with the correct equipment I'm not necessarily expecting or wanting maximum performance from the steel either I would just like something with a Rockwell hardness over 60 that doesn't require long soak times in an extremely narrow temperature range
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I'm sorry, that's not going to work.

You should look into a heat treatment service.
 
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DeadboxHero said:
I'm sorry, that's not going to work.

You should look into a heat treatment service.
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Are you absolutely sure there is no work around because for example I managed to aneal HSS in the embers of a large fire over a 24 hr period albeit i probably didn't achieve a true annealed condition it was soft enough to be drilled and filed and according to what I have read annealing HSS was deemed basically impossible without specialized equipment
 
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Z-Stoff said:
Are you absolutely sure there is no work around because for example I managed to aneal HSS in the embers of a large fire over a 24 hr period albeit i probably didn't achieve a true annealed condition it was soft enough to be drilled and filed and according to what I have read annealing HSS was deemed basically impossible without specialized equipment
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I mean I've seen somebody eat a half frozen Hot Pocket cause they just needed it warm enough to eat but I don't think I would want to apply the same logic to one of the most important components in a quality knife.
 
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Z-Stoff said:
Are you absolutely sure there is no work around because for example I managed to aneal HSS in the embers of a large fire over a 24 hr period albeit i probably didn't achieve a true annealed condition it was soft enough to be drilled and filed and according to what I have read annealing HSS was deemed basically impossible without specialized equipment
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Z-Stoff said:
Are you absolutely sure there is no work around because for example I managed to aneal HSS in the embers of a large fire over a 24 hr period albeit i probably didn't achieve a true annealed condition it was soft enough to be drilled and filed and according to what I have read annealing HSS was deemed basically impossible without specialized equipment
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You'll be able to get what you want if you send out for heat treatment.

If you want to do your own heat treatment thats something additional, you're going to have to invest more in your equipment, reading and experience if thats your true goal.
 
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DeadboxHero said:
I mean I've seen somebody eat a half frozen Hot Pocket cause they just needed it warm enough to eat but I don't think I would want to apply the same logic to one of the most important components in a quality knife.
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Lol 😆 ok ok you make a good point but this is just an experiment for my personal entertainment it's not something I would give away or sell I'm just really trying to push the limit of what I can get away with
 
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Z-Stoff said:
Lol 😆 ok ok you make a good point but this is just an experiment for my personal entertainment it's not something I would give away or sell I'm just really trying to push the limit of what I can get away with
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Fair enough, keep in mind this is like the equivalent of seeing if you're car will run on lighter fluid, Nothing wrong with having fun. I just don't have any advice on how to make that work best because it doesn't.
 
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DeadboxHero said:
Fair enough, keep in mind this is like the equivalent of seeing if you're car will run on lighter fluid, Nothing wrong with having fun. I just don't have any advice on how to make that work best because it doesn't.
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Ok multiple questions is it cost effective or even worth sending out a single blade for a heat treat also do you have any recommendations for heat treatment services
 
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Z-Stoff said:
Ok multiple questions is it cost effective or even worth sending out a single blade for a heat treat also do you have any recommendations for heat treatment services
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Actually don't recommend anything I think it may be against the forum rules not trying to get anyone in trouble...
 
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If you're just wanting to play around and experiment, you could use a thermocoupler in a metal square tube. The tube can act as a mini oven of sorts. Most of the super steels need exacting temperature soaks for a set amount of time. It would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to get a perfect heat treat. However, if you're just wanting to play around and experiment, it would be interesting to see just how close you could get to perfect with a coal forge.
 
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Z-Stoff said:
Lol 😆 ok ok you make a good point but this is just an experiment for my personal entertainment it's not something I would give away or sell I'm just really trying to push the limit of what I can get away with
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If you want to heat treat it your self, switch to a carbon steel like 1084 or 1095. They are much more forgiving to home heat treats. If done correctly, The end result will definitely out perform a poorly heat treated "super steel".:) Or as others have mentioned send it out for heat treating. Good luck either way!
 
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IronRidgeOutdoors said:
If you're just wanting to play around and experiment, you could use a thermocoupler in a metal square tube. The tube can act as a mini oven of sorts. Most of the super steels need exacting temperature soaks for a set amount of time. It would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to get a perfect heat treat. However, if you're just wanting to play around and experiment, it would be interesting to see just how close you could get to perfect with a coal forge.
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Sure, but thats like putting a square wheel on a unicycle, a lot of effort with the only return being a pain in the ass.
 
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Black Oak Bladeworks said:
If you want to heat treat it your self, switch to a carbon steel like 1084 or 1095. They are much more forgiving to home heat treats. If done correctly, The end result will definitely out perform a poorly heat treated "super steel".:) Or as others have mentioned send it out for heat treating. Good luck either way!
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DevinT said:
A mediocre steel with an optimal heat treatment is better than a super steel with a poor heat treat.

Using an expensive steel on a difficult project that is difficult to grind and finish and going for a cheap ass heat treatment doesn’t make sense.

Hoss
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Cool factor 😎 also even a poorly heat treated high alloy steel still contains enough carbides for very high wear resistance making it worth it atleast for that single aspect unless you somehow dissolve them into solution which just isn't really possible with the "supersteel class" I think of them more as ceramic particles sintered in an iron matrix not so much a "true steel" like a carbide insert for a machine tool for instance
 
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