new guy question about heat treat scale

bigin

bigin

Joined
Sep 3, 2014
Messages
257
I'm new here. I have done several searches and can't seen to find an answer.
I have seen several knives made of the higher carbon steels with the heat treat scale left on for the finish. I like this look for some hunter designs I have, but have been unable to recreate it. Every time I hit the quench it blows all the scale off.
How do they do that?
Thanks guys.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hmmmm. Interesting. I don't recall too much scale being "blown off" in the quench in my shop. There are some flakes of scale that inevitably fall off. Usually if anything blows off in the quench it is something I have put on the blade....like satanite. Scale can been a PITA to remove for me post heat treat. Sorry...no help offered.
 
I fixed "heat" in the title for you :)

The best thing to do is finish as desired, leaving the areas that you want dark and rough looking alone. After the bevels are all sanded to at least 400 grit, etch the blade in FC until the upper areas are all black and deeply etched. Wash and neutralize, and finish the bevels. That will give an even toned "Brute de Forge" look.
 
I think you might be looking at a forged finish. You should post a pic of what you are talking about, for clarification. But maybe you are right...

I have found that the more I heat treat my blades that if you do it right and there aren't any "problems" that I get a clean blade out of quench. Very little scale.
 
The knives I have seen are Turley, Adventure sworn, etc. They are not forged but stock removal. They look like the black finish on the steel from the foundry. I tried to leave that on and heat treat and it all rolled off in the quench. Haha.
 
Yep, if going for that look, Stacy is right. Etch after heat treat, then polish the bevels if you want them "shiny".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top