Has anyone used the Evenheat Artisan 688?

[Matt Browning]

A couple of years ago there were a couple posts from members who had just gotten their Evenheat 688 ovens in the mail. Since then, I haven't been able to find a single review of how the little guy performs. Does anybody own one?

In separate but related news, Evenheat KO series is a new (to me at least) addition to their lineup. What would be the benefits of having an oven that can go up to 2400˚?

I've been heat treating O-1 in a homemade 2 brick forge, but I'd like to get a little more controlled about the whole operation, and gain the capacity to do stainless... the 688 seems just right.

 

[Alpha Knife Supply]

We have a Evenheat Artisan. It works well for smaller blades.

I think the new KO series from Evenheat is natural progression. Ten years ago knifemakers used very few steels with austenitizing temperatures above 2,000°. Today there are several steels being used that should be heat treated above 2,000° to get the best performance. Now some knifemakers are pushing the envelope and starting to use steels that heat treat at or above 2,200° like CPM Rex 121:
http://www.crucible.com/eselector/prodbyapp/highspeed/cpm121.html

Based on the last ten years progress the next ten years should be interesting.

 

[Bill Burke]

I have one and use it for a mutitude of things from making mokume to tempering blades up to 8 inches oal. it is great heats fast and the outside stays cool.

 

[Matt Browning]

I feel like it's the ideal oven for a hobby maker who only makes slipjoints like myself. Getting a larger oven on the off chance that I might one day make a larger blade seems kind of silly, especially considering the price difference on the ovens and the speed with which the Artisan heats up (saving electricity $ too). Thanks for the replies guys, this is all very helpful.