Heat treat for first stainless steel blade

T

terrinecold

Joined
Oct 3, 2016
Messages
113
Hello,
so I made a few knives including a couple of folders (one still going through finishing work). Mostly I made them in O1. I am thinking that for a folder a stainless blade and stainless liners would be a definite plus (specially since it is harder to make sure no water goes inside the knife). Because of that I am thinking that a future project (maybe next folder) should have stainless steel blade and liner, however I know I won't be able to do the heat treat myself.

Here is the question.
What is the best/a good combination of steel + heat treat shop for a beginner's knife.
One of the important thing regarding the heat treat shop would be that the price for a single blade is reasonable (an example of non reasonable price would be
BEGINNER
$2.00 EA. / $85 MINIMUM
because that means 85$ for a single knife).

Thanks in advance for your advice.
 
You can ask that question in the "Wanted: Knifemaker/Craftsman/Services" forum and perhaps work out a deal with a maker close to where you are.
 
Thanks Busto I will,
Kevin, that was actually part of the question. As mentioned working with stainless would be a first for me and I am not looking at the "best performing" just one which will be OK and won't break the bank if I have to scrap pieces (on my last folder I had to do the blade twice because on the first one I filed the part of the tang opposite the notch a bit to much and it stopped closing so I had to redo the blade).
And I am located in Boston, MA area. Specifically Watertown.
 
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Most any of the SS alloys will be just fine for a folder I would expect. I've used 14C28N because I like that steel and I've got it on hand. I wouldn't hesitate to use AEB-L for the blade and backspring of a folder either..... when I read "folder" I was thinking slipjoint, but "folder" could be referring to slipjoint or any of the other types of folder.

Ken H>
 
A very good stainless steel is CPM-154. It is readily available in many sizes, makes a very good knife, and is relatively inexpensive. Any shop with a HT oven can do it.

Places like True Grit, Jatz, Texas Knife supply, and some of the fellow in this forum do single blades for about $10-15 a blade, including cryo. This is affordable for the new maker.

If you filled out your profile, makers near you would know where you lived and mightoffer to do it.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith ,
thanks for the advice, I have now updated it. $10 to $15 for heat treating is definitely reasonable considering the price of the rest of the knife components, tools and time
K Ken H>
Right now I make lockbacks. I am interested in making "traditional" looking folders. The kind you'd take with you on a camping trip or a picnic and you'd use to cut cheeze, saucisson (a french type of salami) and so on.
Typically in France this would cover knife similar to high quality knives like good laguiole or le thiers, lower end but well loved knives like opinel and a bunch of others.
Most of those knives are in fact slipjoint and some are lockbacks.
I also am mostly using manual tools, at this point the only power tool I am using is a drill press. The knifes are made with handsaws, files and sandpaper.
 
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