Least tool intensive stainless to heat treat.

C

Chalk

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Mar 31, 2016
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I wanted to make some low maintenance kitchen knives, but do not have a whole lot of tools to heat treat 440c or 154CM for example. I have a propane forge I made out of a coffee can, some homemade refractory and a bernzomatic TS8000. It can get knives to ~1500 but no hotter. I also have a kitchen oven, and access to dry ice. Any recommendations for stainless and where to buy it? Or should I just forget about stainless for the time being?
 
Chalk, Have you considered the idea of having your knives heat treated by professionals like Peters, Paul Bos, Tru grit or some others? I have made hundreds of knives mostly stainless steel and I have them heat treated 8 or ten at a time for not too much money and I don't have to worry about my home owners insurance not providing coverage because of forges and kilns, etc.... and I don't have to worry about space for hot equipment at my home. Unless this is something you just crave doing send them out for heat treat and spend your time designing and grinding your designs. Larry

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I have considered this, but I really like being self sufficient in what I do. I might be interested though, how would I find out how much it costs?
 
Ask. Most of the time it's from 7 to 15 a blade.

Without a PID heat treating oven, stainless foil, liquid nitrogen and a lot of experience you will never be doing a great job of heat treating stainless.
 
There's nothing wrong with non-stainless knives around the kitchen, too. Many of the best chefs use them.
 
Yeah if you go stainless....you'll need a temp controlled oven AT THE LEAST.

Otherwise it's just not worth the effort. I do the same thing and do my own carbon blades but I have the stainless blades heat treated by another knifemaker who's set up for vacuum stuff and liquid nitrogen and such. I get lovely clean blades back from heat treat and he even tests the hardness on each individual blade. Something that I'm not set up for either at home. (Rockwell testers are VERY expensive)
 
Short answer - you can not HT stainless with your current tools.

It costs about $10 per blade to get HT done on stainless blades.

There are many HTers who do this specifically for knives. Peters ( requires batches to be cost effective), TrueGrit, Texas Knife Supply, Paul Bos, etc.
 
If I got a heat treating oven, I could treat 154CM right? I might just save for that. I might even try to make one depending on how difficult it seems. I don't know why, but I like doing everything myself. Thanks for the help though!
 
With an oven you can heat treat most knife steels. Get some high temp stainless foil, some quench plates and find a recipe for the steel you are using. Follow it to the T and test your results. You can send them out until you get an oven.
 
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