NJSB/Aldo W2 Steel in 2025

[MinusFortyForge]

I've read a good number of forum posts from the past about New Jersey Steel Baron's W2 steel, but it's very mixed. some years, people commented that it was a bad batch, other years, that it was good steel. I'm wondering if anyone has used it recently and is it worth a try this year, or is the consensus still "beware?"
Very appealing steel as it has the small V addition to help out when forging and also can be quenched in water...

Many thanks,

 

[oldschool45]

This is from a batch I got last year (2024) and I made some kitchen knives and a modern Bowie with some from 2023. Quenched in Parks50 it was Rockwelling over 63C
I do make it a habit to run normalizing cycles on it even though I am doing stock removal. Haven't tried to water quench any of it. I did get a slight negative sori quenching this blade in Parks50 but that has to do with the quench and not Aldo's W2.

 

[MinusFortyForge]

That is fantastic news; thank you! And also that blade and that hamon look absolutely incredible. Love it.

 

[Tekkz]

That is fantastic news; thank you! And also that blade and that hamon look absolutely incredible. Love it.

I'm a bit late but I bought some from w2 from NJSB in January and it seems to work well without any normalization. I only have hardness testing files but it was >65 hrc after quench and between 60-65 hrc after tempering.

https://imgur.com/7pzxpoe