Should I re-temper my MagnaCut blade?

[Sando]

After heat treating my first MagnaCut blade, I think it's too hard at 63hrc. (3 readings, 63, 63, 62.5)

Here's the recipe:

Set the oven to 2075 (I thought my oven was reading higher than actual, so I set it to 2075 degrees to get 2050 - but perhaps it's fine after all).
Put the blade in at 2060 and waited for it to reach 2075.
20 minute soak
Plate quench
Into the LN for 2 hours
2 2 hour tempers at 350
The blade is now 63hrc.

Larrin's chart shows it should be at 62, so really it's not far off. However, should I do another tempering cycle at a higher temp to bring it down? Or is 63 just fine for a hunter in MagnaCut?


PS: I think this easily replaces Elmax as my new premium steel!

 

[A.McPherson]

Leave it as is... 1 point of hardness is pretty good really.

 

[HSC ///]

I would leave it

 

[DevinT]

It won’t hurt to increase the tempering temperature by 20’f and retemper.

Hoss

 

[Sando]

It won’t hurt to increase the tempering temperature by 20’f and retemper.

Hoss

Thanks Hoss.

I'm sure McPherson and HSC are right and 63 is OK. However, I feel a little better with the third temper at 370. It measured 62.5, 62.5 and 62.

That's still super hard in my book! Can't wait to see how it performs.