Harding a Blade

[UCPOPO]

I have a blade that I have been working on for some time and finally have it the shape that I want it. I know I've messed up the hardless of the 1090 carbon steel, now I need to harden it. Is there anyone who will just do the harding and put a nice edge on it for me? This isnt a service Ive seen offered anywhere.

 

[richard j]

do you have access to a cutting torch? you can harden just the edge which is how i do my blades. as for sharpening, if you get it heat treated i can sharpen it for you.

 

[UCPOPO]

The only part I believe I made softer was the handle, the blade may actually be fine.

 

[richard j]

dont worry about the handle. if you are not going to pry or beat the knife it should be fine. i leave the rest of my blade soft but the steel has an rc of 56 to start with so that is somewhat hard enough. test the handle with a file. if the file skips or hardly cuts the steel the handle is hard enough.

 

[Bo T]

If you are making a knife you should post this in a knife makers forum Shoptalk-BladeSmith Questions and Answers. Also they have a lot of information on annealing, hardening, and tempering a blade.

If you have a tempered blade that you are reshaping then you are probably OK because you have to get the temperature up above 500 degrees Fahrenheit to start softening the blade. The handle should be fine unless you got it cherry red. If you are working with a tempered blade don't touch it with a torch because that will ruin the temper real fast.

 

[richard j]

bo t, the temperature to temper a blade starts around 400 degrees. i dont think he has heated the blade cherry red just shaping it down

 

[Bo T]

bo t, the temperature to temper a blade starts around 400 degrees. i dont think he has heated the blade cherry red just shaping it down

A tempered blade for this steel would probably have been tempered @ 450. To ruin the temper you would need to exceed this temperature. At 500 your hardness would still be in the mid 50s. Not ideal but not necesarilly ruined. As far as 'cherry red' just letting the OP know that the handle is OK even if he burns the metal at the cut or grind.