Quality of heat treatment

[Cliff Stamp]

It is common perspective that the production industry has an inferior level of heat treatment than the custom industry. The main arguement is sound and is based on the fact that when doing custom blades you can work with few blades at a time, sometimes individually, whereas in the production field, larger batches are ran to increase production. Now the theory is sound that the larger the batch used the more variance that will be induced from blade to blade for a few reasons. However there is no real data on how much variance is induced, or put another way how much performance is being lost.

I have seen CATRA tests posted by Buck in the past which shows an obvious interest in performance. Have these or other methods been used by Buck to make sure that no significant loss of performance is caused by heat treating at the batch level they use? Put another way, within what level of performance would Buck put the heat treating on their blades to the heat treating that Bos does for the custom industry? Or has Bos stated to Buck that the heat treating used is within a specific tolerance of what he would regard as optimal? If so, what is this tolerance?

-Cliff

 

[Paul Bos]

Cliff: Buck Knives uses the same H.T. procedures I use on my Custom knife Heat Treating, The only differance they are done on a production level useing state of the art equipment. All blades are hardened in an atmosferic furnace, Rapid quenched, Cryoed @ -100 Deg. C, and double tempered. ATS-34 and BG-42 are triple temperedand and cryoed @ -140 Deg. C. I personley sample Rockwell test all ATS-34, BG-42, 154-CM, D-2, and 440-C. ATS , BG-42 , 154-CM and D-2 are R\C- 60 plus or minus 1. 440-C is R\C-58-59. Cliff if you would like more Info. I would be glad to talk with you on the phone, Im not to good on the computer. My Buck Knives # is (619)449-1100 x 211, My shop # is (619)562-2370, My home # is (619)445-4740. If you cant get me leave your # and I will call you back. Thank You Paul.