Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith
ilmarinen - MODERATOR
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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2004
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- 36,431
These Hitachi steels, with their target hardness often being as high as Rc63-64, have to be handled with kid gloves.
The amount of carbides formed by the extra forty or fifty points of carbon ( compared to 1084) can make it heat up FAST when grinding. Any grinding after HT can potentially damage the blade. Will you know it when grinding ????, probably not....but there can be a significant loss of edge retention when the knife is done. The extra steps in hand finishing these blades, and the truly flat and fine surface of waterstones and other wet plates is one of the reasons chefs will pay hundreds more for a quality blue or white steel blade.
That said, careful grinding, with bare hands and constant dipping in water will create a great blade. It is just not the optimal method.
The amount of carbides formed by the extra forty or fifty points of carbon ( compared to 1084) can make it heat up FAST when grinding. Any grinding after HT can potentially damage the blade. Will you know it when grinding ????, probably not....but there can be a significant loss of edge retention when the knife is done. The extra steps in hand finishing these blades, and the truly flat and fine surface of waterstones and other wet plates is one of the reasons chefs will pay hundreds more for a quality blue or white steel blade.
That said, careful grinding, with bare hands and constant dipping in water will create a great blade. It is just not the optimal method.