How does heat treatment of knife steel work?

JGON

JGON

Joined
Mar 12, 2010
Messages
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Can anyone explain this process to me? I did a search, but there were 500 pages of threads so forgive me if I didn't see a keeper...

How does it impact the different attributes that are ideal in knife steel? What is happening at a molecular level within the steel? How and why are certain Rockwell Hardnesses obtained? What types of methods are used? Heat treatment seems equally as important to the quality and attributes of the knife as the steel itself.

Thanks all,

JGON
 
At its simplest level, steel is a crystal structure or matrix of iron atoms with carbon atoms trapped inside the matrix. There are different crystal structures that form at different temperatures. They have different properties. The science or art of heat treating is to heat the steel to a temperature that has the crystal structure that gives the properties you want, then dropping the temperature rapidly so that this particular structure is locked in place.

The primary properties that are affected by the "heat treat" are hardness and toughness.


If you really want a full explanation, read this book:
Metallurgy of Steel for Bladesmiths & Others who Heat Treat and Forge Steel by John D. Verhoeven

He published copies on the web for free. No copy right infringement.
Here is a link:
http://www.feine-klingen.de/PDFs/verhoeven.pdf
 
knarfeng said:
If you really want a full explanation, read this book:
Metallurgy of Steel for Bladesmiths & Others who Heat Treat and Forge Steel by John D. Verhoeven

He published copies on the web for free. No copy right infringement.
Here is a link:
http://www.feine-klingen.de/PDFs/verhoeven.pdf
Click to expand...

This book seems promising as a good read. Thanks a lot for the link. :D
You can never have enough knowledge!
 
Last edited:
I have a book which might be of interest to knife nuts which is titled:

Manufacturing Engineering and Technology, Third Edition, 1995, by Serope Kalpakjian, Addison-Wesley, 1271 pages.

Divided into eight parts totaling 40 chapters, it does have a chapter on heat treatment of metal alloys but it's not specific to knife-making, still useful, I have read only this chapter so far. :o

Part 1 - Fundamentals of Materials: Their Behavior and Manufacturing Properties

Part 2 - Metal Casting Processes and Equipment

Part 3 - Forming and Shaping Processes and Equipment

Part 4 - Material-Removal Processes and Machines

Part 5 - Joining Processes and Equipment

Part 6 - Surface Technology

Part 7 - Common Aspects of Manufacturing

Part 8 - Manufacturing in a Competitive Environment

I got this book along with some others to satisfy my curiosity about precision engineering/manufacturing.

This book should have a newer edition(s) but then the fundamentals should remain the same.
 
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