file knife update

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willp58

Joined
Mar 2, 2001
Messages
16
Hello, I have attempted to make my first knife and for the steel, used an old file. I first annealed it at 1550 deg, and it came out dead soft. After shaping the knife, I then heat treated by setting the furnace at 1450 deg, held it for 2 hrs then oil quenched. It did not come any where near hard enough ending up at 36 RC. The next attempt will be with new tool steel, no more files. After going through the shaping process, I have great respect for you qualified knife makers. Also I just bought my first custom knife from a gentleman I talked to on this forum, Ron Leuschen, and it is a beauty! The knives you folks make classify as art works in my opinion.

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It's not what is said, it's who says it.
 
Don't give up yet! I think the problem was in the two hour soak!!!!! Take the same blade back up to non-magnetic - this is a critical temp, non-magnetic, test with a magnet then immediately quench in heated oil (about 140 or so) and you should have a hard blade. Of course it all depends on the quality of the file. The modern cheap or common ones are case hardened and useless for this process. Look for an old BLACK DIAMOND in a junk store or flea market.
 
Yep, you are over thinking this. Do not worry about soaking this! Non-magnetic,hard, non-magenetic,450, or straw brown. Hopefully this is an old file (high carbon) and not a coated sinthetic (sp). A While back someone posted a critical piece. 500 years ago no one sub zero quenched, packed stainless and nickel or used dry ice and kerosene. They still made blades perfectly capable of cutting and damned well. Wootz, damascas and bronze have all killed lions and men. Terry
 
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