Eric Isaacson
Pirate
- Joined
- Dec 19, 1999
- Messages
- 12,547
I've been digging around in some of the old threads and thought this one was worth noting.
The following is a quote from Jerry regarding the Cryo treatment of Busse Blades
" Cryo Treatment
Busse has been doing cryo since the early 1980's. Back then it was a very primitive process involving an old cooler, dry ice and about a gallon of acetone. Process: pack the blades in dry ice, pour the acetone over the ice to speed the evaporation process, and hit somewhere around the -190 degree mark. Do a normalizing temper (approx. 350 - 450) and voila! Prehistoric Cryo!
In the late eighties we began the employment of a deep cryo treatment (-300/320 degrees) which was done in a dry, controlled, atmosphere. This process allows us to take our blades down to temp. over the course of 10 hours hold them at temp. (-300 degrees) for approx 50 hours, and then bring them back up to room temp. over the course of the next 10 hours at which point they receive 3 more, individualized, oven tempers. This is the same process that we employ to this day.
Some makers are out there just plunging their blades into liquid nitrogen which can shock the steel so dramatically that microscopic cracks and fissures can form that could cause massive blade failure in the field under heavy and/or light use. That is why it is crucial that the blades be cooled slowly and brought back to room temperature slowly and then normalized with a few oven tempers for stress relief.
Of course there are also some makers that I know of who claim to employ cryogenics because they stick their knives in the freezer over night. Scary! Alway ask the maker to give as much detail of his cryo process as possible.
Knowledge is power! Arm yourself!
Yours in Nuclear Cryogenics,
Jerry Busse"
The thread it was gleaned from is here. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=135645
There is some additional info on the Heat treat if I dig it up I'll post it also.
The following is a quote from Jerry regarding the Cryo treatment of Busse Blades
" Cryo Treatment
Busse has been doing cryo since the early 1980's. Back then it was a very primitive process involving an old cooler, dry ice and about a gallon of acetone. Process: pack the blades in dry ice, pour the acetone over the ice to speed the evaporation process, and hit somewhere around the -190 degree mark. Do a normalizing temper (approx. 350 - 450) and voila! Prehistoric Cryo!
In the late eighties we began the employment of a deep cryo treatment (-300/320 degrees) which was done in a dry, controlled, atmosphere. This process allows us to take our blades down to temp. over the course of 10 hours hold them at temp. (-300 degrees) for approx 50 hours, and then bring them back up to room temp. over the course of the next 10 hours at which point they receive 3 more, individualized, oven tempers. This is the same process that we employ to this day.
Some makers are out there just plunging their blades into liquid nitrogen which can shock the steel so dramatically that microscopic cracks and fissures can form that could cause massive blade failure in the field under heavy and/or light use. That is why it is crucial that the blades be cooled slowly and brought back to room temperature slowly and then normalized with a few oven tempers for stress relief.
Of course there are also some makers that I know of who claim to employ cryogenics because they stick their knives in the freezer over night. Scary! Alway ask the maker to give as much detail of his cryo process as possible.
Knowledge is power! Arm yourself!
Yours in Nuclear Cryogenics,
Jerry Busse"
The thread it was gleaned from is here. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=135645
There is some additional info on the Heat treat if I dig it up I'll post it also.
Not only Busse exclusive info, but all around general good knife knowledge.
Cryo Chillin' Climber Clif 
