Newbie Question

[Braunfels]

Hey guys. First post, with a quick question. This may be a dumb question but I'm just getting into making knives and may have more basic questions. I'm guessing that I don't put a final edge on before heat treat. A fine edge might burn off. Is that correct? How much do I leave at the edge?

 

[Mikel_24]

This question would be better answered in the knifemakers subforum.

As far as I know, final sharpening is done AFTER heat treat. As you mentioned, you can burn off the edge in the process. Regarding how thick you should leave it... well, that's up to you, the desired geometry of the blade, steel, etc.

Long ago I made a bunch of leaf spring blades and I usually left the edge about 1mm thick before HT. Crude coal forge + quenching in burnt motor oil kind of HT...

Mikel

 

[3fifty7]

It’s usually said a “dimes thickness” which will put you at .03”-.04” for most basic carbon steels.

 

[Braunfels]

It’s usually said a “dimes thickness” which will put you at .03”-.04” for most basic carbon steels.

Thank you. That's very helpful.

 

[Shorttime]

It’s usually said a “dimes thickness” which will put you at .03”-.04” for most basic carbon steels.

Peter's Heat Treat recommends 0.015" edge thickness for air-hardening steels, and

0.03" for oil-hardening steels.

If the edge is too thin, the blade will warp. I don't understand much about the physics inside the steel that cause warping. I know it's because you're freezing the steel, and something about body-centered carbides and face-centered carbides, but I forgot most of it.