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kbaknife said:
That is exactly why we can't make knives like the did in the old days! When Excalibur was forged there were virgins everywhere!
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The Logic of Heat Treating Oils
- Thread starter John Frankl
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That is exactly why we can't make knives like the did in the old days! When Excalibur was forged there were virgins everywhere!
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Congratulations John, you quick commentary has become a 3 pager in 2 short days (you boat rocker you
). On the Japanese thing, this is a falacious appeal to authority that sadly works too often, as soon as the words "Japanese smiths" are presented all western smiths must kneel in submission. I am not one of those kneelers. Hollywood, not reality, made those blades the pinnicle of creation, and I am here to say that while those blades are beautiful they are full of their own little problems that Hollywood conveniently ignored. Water is used as a quenchant because tamahagane steel is so shallow hardening that one needs that kind of speed to achieve the same effects in it. But...
Many who work with traditional Japanese style quenching all have horror stories about how many blades they still lose occasionally in that quench, I was going to tell you how many years it has been since I have lost one with my methods, but I cannot remember one.
Check out Rick Barrett's swords, Rick is a highly talented and respected American smith making Japanese swords. After hearing of his troubles with water, I suggested Park #50, since I had gotten some spectacular hammon activity with it. He experimented a few times for a while until I finally prodded him enough to really adjust his techniques to its use. Rick now tells me he is sold. He gets spectacular activity in a very reproducable fashion and doesn't lose any blades anymore. Seems a good oil made for fast speeds can even improve the Japanese methods.
). On the Japanese thing, this is a falacious appeal to authority that sadly works too often, as soon as the words "Japanese smiths" are presented all western smiths must kneel in submission. I am not one of those kneelers. Hollywood, not reality, made those blades the pinnicle of creation, and I am here to say that while those blades are beautiful they are full of their own little problems that Hollywood conveniently ignored. Water is used as a quenchant because tamahagane steel is so shallow hardening that one needs that kind of speed to achieve the same effects in it. But...Many who work with traditional Japanese style quenching all have horror stories about how many blades they still lose occasionally in that quench, I was going to tell you how many years it has been since I have lost one with my methods, but I cannot remember one.
Check out Rick Barrett's swords, Rick is a highly talented and respected American smith making Japanese swords. After hearing of his troubles with water, I suggested Park #50, since I had gotten some spectacular hammon activity with it. He experimented a few times for a while until I finally prodded him enough to really adjust his techniques to its use. Rick now tells me he is sold. He gets spectacular activity in a very reproducable fashion and doesn't lose any blades anymore. Seems a good oil made for fast speeds can even improve the Japanese methods.
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bladsmth said:
While I thank you entirely for your comments, I would like to caution anyone from taking anybody's words as definitive, especially mine. I say that because my goal is not to make followers, but to create legions of thinkers who never quit looking for verifiable information in the bladesmithing field. For too long folks have simply believed everything they read and that is why we are having this discussion in this thread. I can tell you that you can trust what I say, but you really can't unless you are free to ask me to either show my micrographs or give solid refferences to hard data, which I will if I can.
One apsect of this whole concept of "any old liquid will do and the faster the better" that is being overlooked and also bothers me is the safety concerns. How many questions have we seen like- "how about X for a quenchant", where "X" is something that could burst into an inferno, or poison the poor guy looking for that edge. Once again these are new guys who just want to be like the big cats and hope that a new undiscovered super quench will get them there. We have a responsibility to point them in a safe and reliable direction!
If there is one thing I have found is that true success ( the kind you can sleep with and be proud of) in this business is based on long hard hours of work and proper application of simple boring facts. Secrets and folksy backwoods recipes may get ink, but they can't stand the test of time.
As a maker of $100-$200 knives, that being the range that most of my sales are in, I would like to point out there is a definite advantage to engineered quenchants. I know that what I quench will harden properly, and thoroughly. I started out using odd mixes of ATF fluid and oil, as that is what I had access to when I started. I will NEVER return to that. I like the oil I am using now (Texaco A purchased from a local heat treat business about 5 yrs ago) and I have found it to give me more consistent results than any of the old formulas I have used for all of the steels I like except W2 which I still quench in a 5% brine solution.
The price I paid was less than one of my knives, and I have probably quenched over 100 knives since then, so in the long run $1-$2/knife is well worth the consistent results. one benifit I have found, is less playing with tempering. I used to have two or three blades from the same bar of steel that would need different tempering temperatures. I always had to start low, and add extra tempering cycles at higher temperatures to get the results I wanted. If I went by the book temeratures, a good number of blades were too soft, would not cut well, and had to be re-hardened. When I figure in wasted time alone, the oil was worth it.
I'll admit, I am becomming more of a steel geek every day, although I am still years behind Kevin and Mete, I am trying to catch up. Al Pendray was the smith that first hooked me to metallurgy, and was able to show me what was going on in the steel. He took away a good portion of the mystery, and replaced it with a desire to learn, and improve.
The price I paid was less than one of my knives, and I have probably quenched over 100 knives since then, so in the long run $1-$2/knife is well worth the consistent results. one benifit I have found, is less playing with tempering. I used to have two or three blades from the same bar of steel that would need different tempering temperatures. I always had to start low, and add extra tempering cycles at higher temperatures to get the results I wanted. If I went by the book temeratures, a good number of blades were too soft, would not cut well, and had to be re-hardened. When I figure in wasted time alone, the oil was worth it.
I'll admit, I am becomming more of a steel geek every day, although I am still years behind Kevin and Mete, I am trying to catch up. Al Pendray was the smith that first hooked me to metallurgy, and was able to show me what was going on in the steel. He took away a good portion of the mystery, and replaced it with a desire to learn, and improve.
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While I'm 100% in agreement about using designated quench oils. (my favorite quench tank is the one with 10 gallons of Park #50 and a water heater element built in for easy pre-heating)...
I must say that I don't think it's always so easy to get. I KNEW all about Heat-Bath and their products for well over a year before I finally got ahold of someone that would sell me the $100 minimum. I had spoken with several "representatives" that told me they were not selling small quantities. I even had one individual that told me they would not sell a small business such as mine a 55 gallon drum!!!
I left a message on one "rep's" phone once a week for about 6 weeks and he NEVER replied to me, nor would he reply to emails.
Finally when I got ahold of the right individual there, they readily sold me 4- 5 gallon buckets of #50. As an interesting side note, I asked this person if the person above no longer worked there, and she said, "No, he still does, his desk is right by mine." That did NOT make me happy
I have yet to get them (Heat-bath) to commit to selling me a barrel of Nu-Sal heat-treating salts. I have looked at nearly every place I can think of, and nobody wants to sell a measily knifemaker this salt.
I did recently find out though, that a local oil supplier (mostly known for heating oil and oils for the industrial mills needs) can order me 4 - 5 gallons bucket of any Heat-Bath quench oil, or a 55 gal drum if I like.
So I say you SHOULD persevere and get ahold of a good quench oil
... but I don't think it's always easy to do. 
I must say that I don't think it's always so easy to get. I KNEW all about Heat-Bath and their products for well over a year before I finally got ahold of someone that would sell me the $100 minimum. I had spoken with several "representatives" that told me they were not selling small quantities. I even had one individual that told me they would not sell a small business such as mine a 55 gallon drum!!!
I left a message on one "rep's" phone once a week for about 6 weeks and he NEVER replied to me, nor would he reply to emails.
Finally when I got ahold of the right individual there, they readily sold me 4- 5 gallon buckets of #50. As an interesting side note, I asked this person if the person above no longer worked there, and she said, "No, he still does, his desk is right by mine." That did NOT make me happy
I have yet to get them (Heat-bath) to commit to selling me a barrel of Nu-Sal heat-treating salts. I have looked at nearly every place I can think of, and nobody wants to sell a measily knifemaker this salt.
I did recently find out though, that a local oil supplier (mostly known for heating oil and oils for the industrial mills needs) can order me 4 - 5 gallons bucket of any Heat-Bath quench oil, or a 55 gal drum if I like.
So I say you SHOULD persevere and get ahold of a good quench oil
... but I don't think it's always easy to do. rhrocker said:
I'd buy it too!
On an aside, I was thinking about bladesmiths of old the other day. It occurred to me that, every now and then, in the absense of the scientific instruments we have today, a smith (Japanese, European, or otherwise) would probably, by chance, hit the "perfect" treatment for the metal and blade they were forging. I'll bet this is where some of the legends of "super swords" and "super smiths" comes from.
I also got to thinking, one of the reasons the Japanese blades are so famous (aside from hollywood) is that the Japanese smith was perhaps more likely to be able to repeat the performance. It may be hollywood coloring my image of Japanese smithys, but in that image they are fastidious, working in a clean forge with "ceremonies" they follow. While the ceremonies have no direct effect on the blades, they may well have enabled the smith to repeat good performance. My knowledge in this area is pretty much non-existant, so if I get flamed for expressing these thoughts, I guess I'll deserve it
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Pretty simple - ain't it?
When you need to quench a blade, you quench it in quenchant designed for quenching things that need to be quenched!
You use vegatble oil when you want French fries.
ATF when your truck doesn't shift.
And mineral oil when your horse wont - you know.
When you need to quench a blade, you quench it in quenchant designed for quenching things that need to be quenched!
You use vegatble oil when you want French fries.
ATF when your truck doesn't shift.
And mineral oil when your horse wont - you know.
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NickWheeler said:...I must say that I don't think it's always so easy to get. I KNEW all about Heat-Bath and their products for well over a year before I finally got ahold of someone that would sell me the $100 minimum. I had spoken with several "representatives" that told me they were not selling small quantities. I even had one individual that told me they would not sell a small business such as mine a 55 gallon drum!!!
Anybody who would try to argue that Heat Bath stuff can be darned hard to get your hands on, would be foolish and I can attest to that. But Heat bath is just one company and is an exception in their orneriness to part with their product. While I believe it is the best I have used, there is a multitude of other quenchants being sold and made out there, that would have to be much easier to find and get. You just need to find the sources in your area, or be willing to pay the shipping. Perhaps one day we will find an in-road for the average Joe at Heat-Bath, since I am quite sold on their stuff.
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kbaknife said:
That's interesting because I have always called it the Cinderella Syndrome for the same reasons, and while I myself am not applying that moniker to anybody or any part of this thread, I have MANY times in the past seen a shoe simply tossed out on the floor, only to watch several people rush in volunteering to try it on.
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rhrocker said:
Thank you for your support, just don't let my wife hear it or I will never get a moments peace about it. You see it probably is no secret that I have indeed started such a project, but keep getting sidetracked or discouraged, so there is no telling when it could ever see the light of day, but it is good to know that it would be well recieved if it happens.
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As a young lad I worked on a construction site building a stock pile operating my dream machine, a 1948 Hough loader with a 2 yard bucket. I asked the boss if my stock pile was good enough, his reply stuck with me all my life.
"You name is on it, if it is good enough for you it is good enough for me"
I went back to work and peaked the stock pile to perfection.
One day I would like to see performance ratings for knives, each rating would include cut, ease of sharpening, lateral strength, peneration and other variables of high endurance performance. A simple knife would be rated as such, as would other classes of knives. The rating would be in relation to the task expected of the knife. Once these ratings are known to the consumer; debates such as these will take care of themselves.
Tina, my new apprentice smiled at this thread, commented that when trying to sypnon quenching oil in very cold weather, it takes 4 people. Maybe her vision is apropriate. It only took 4 hours to fill a 5 gallon can. Things happened better when we found something that worked.
"You name is on it, if it is good enough for you it is good enough for me"
I went back to work and peaked the stock pile to perfection.
One day I would like to see performance ratings for knives, each rating would include cut, ease of sharpening, lateral strength, peneration and other variables of high endurance performance. A simple knife would be rated as such, as would other classes of knives. The rating would be in relation to the task expected of the knife. Once these ratings are known to the consumer; debates such as these will take care of themselves.
Tina, my new apprentice smiled at this thread, commented that when trying to sypnon quenching oil in very cold weather, it takes 4 people. Maybe her vision is apropriate. It only took 4 hours to fill a 5 gallon can. Things happened better when we found something that worked.
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Tommegow said:
I must apologize that I am not the best person to ask this of, since I am now working exclusively with the one line of products that is indeed hard for just anybody to get, so I would wholeheartedly recommend Heat-Bath/Park Metallurgical AAA quench, and then wish you luck in finding somebody who could get it for you. But I really cannot stress enough that this one case is an odd exception in the business world as far as not wanting to deal with just anyone. Here is a great place to ask all present for sources of all the other readily available quenches out there. I could do an internet search but I bet you could beat me to it, at the rate I move, as far as finding one near you that suits your exact needs. The Texaco and Chevron products have benn given very good reveiws by the folks I know who use them. Brownells sells quenchants, I think Al Lawrence (Uncle Al) was offering some, Sheffield's knifemaker supply carries a quenchant, many of the online tool suppliers offer some oils, etc...
I tried to start a database thread about commercial quenchants, reviews and sources, on the forum that I moderate, but it was so besieged with nasty comments from the vegetable oil crowd that I let it die rather than keep the stress level elevated. It would still be a very useful resource, however, if it could be done without bloodshed.
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Nick,
Did you ever try that contact information that I gave you for Heathbath's branch in Indian Orchard, MA? One of these days I'll get my salt bath setup completed and I keep wondering what kind of reception I'll get from Indian Orchard when I try to buy some Nu-Sal.
In case anyone needs the link for Heatbath in Indian Orchard, MA it's; Heatbath in Indian Orchard contact info
Did you ever try that contact information that I gave you for Heathbath's branch in Indian Orchard, MA? One of these days I'll get my salt bath setup completed and I keep wondering what kind of reception I'll get from Indian Orchard when I try to buy some Nu-Sal.
In case anyone needs the link for Heatbath in Indian Orchard, MA it's; Heatbath in Indian Orchard contact info
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This thread has happily taken a turn for the better. We are all figuring out what the other is saying and overcoming some early miscommunications. I am happy.
Giving one example from overseas, I live in Korea, I also had a little trouble sourcing quenching oils. But not much. It took a few phone calls and false starts, but I was able to get good prices on five gallon buckets of the appropriate Houghton quenching oils for both low hardenability (Korean versions of W1 and 1080) steels and for steels like SUJ2 (52100).
It does sometimes take a bit of work, but then so does finding a good anvil or power hammer, to say nothing of actually learning to construct a decent knife
John
Giving one example from overseas, I live in Korea, I also had a little trouble sourcing quenching oils. But not much. It took a few phone calls and false starts, but I was able to get good prices on five gallon buckets of the appropriate Houghton quenching oils for both low hardenability (Korean versions of W1 and 1080) steels and for steels like SUJ2 (52100).
It does sometimes take a bit of work, but then so does finding a good anvil or power hammer, to say nothing of actually learning to construct a decent knife
John
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:thumbup:Ed Fowler said:
one thing we see too often Ed, is some guys would not have gone back then or today.
if my name means nothing to me then how can I expect it to mean anything to anyone else?
Kevin thank you for the one most importance thing you said that I caught and should have been caught by everyone else.
but not by any means the only thing,
in my words here. because I'm not going back through it all to quote you,,
**if someone does not stand up and say it the way it is, what will the new guy have to believe in..**
it's of my opinon and I think many of the others here would agree also,,
a makers $100.00 knife his $500.00 or his $10000.00 knife, the edge should not be any less on one or the other, even if the $10000.00 knife will never be used.
so if you only sell $100.00 knives why should the edge be less than it can be.
that is the knife that may get the most use of the 3..
a closed mind will only slow you down.
it's your rep on the line..
I would like to mention something about the old Japanese sword masters, if anyone wants to use them as a scapegoat. as it was brought up
they weren't called old masters because they had 4 or 5 weeks invested into their trade ,, they, with many years of just blade work, I'm thinking they had a clue or two to back them up.
check into what it takes today to become a master sword maker over there..
we here don't add our own carbon to Iron to make steel as they did just to mention one thing they do ( I say most of us) so it's a different ball game for sure..
we have now technology on our side so with that and our experience why not use the both.. all of us have things to learn.
is it good enough not to?? not for me..
quench in live chicken with point towards north,, or was it south
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Since this one looks like it has expended much of its volatile fuel there is one last thing I would like to touch on. Whenever a topic like this comes up, believe it or not despite how well it worked here the industrial/scientifically oriented types are still the minority among bladesmiths, and will often get painted as close-minded or opposed to alternatives or the “many other ways to skin a cat”. The information is depicted as one sided and opposing other points of view and requiring the balance of those other cat skinning techniques.
Well I am here to say that we are the balancing alternative viewpoints in a community that has operated off from the home-made, improvised formulas and imaginative and unorthodox processing rituals which have been the standard unopposed with the microphone for a very long time.
This argument falls as flat as those that say there needs to be a balance to Fox news or the internet outlets. With folks like Dan Rather at CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN and others feeling so secure in their monopoly on information that they can just manufacture the news when they need to, the new outlets are the balancing viewpoints and still barely moving the scales!
Now I know I took a HUGE risk with that metaphor but please remember I did it in order to illustrated a situation in bladesmithing not to start a political debate, if that one paragraph ends up being all folks want to talk about I will be happy to remove it with apologies. But then we still would not have addressed the real issue.
For years bladesmithing has been dominated by gurus that have many very “interesting” points of view that would be very controversial in the world mete comes from for example (a world that vastly outnumbers us and is barely aware we exist). These gurus have been given carte blanche, in the form of our unquestioning following, to suggest just about anything and have us believe it is correct and entirely effective simply because they say so.
Let me ask this, how many times have we seen questions about one of the gurus techniques answered by a photo of one of their knives with the caption- “you can’t argue with the results”, what the heck! We can’t argue with a picture?! That knife may be beautiful but for all we know, the blade could be a chunk of car bumper (although I am sure somebody is itching to reply that car bumper works for them
).
In an area where the same folks have held the microphone unopposed for so long, because their colorful style attracts press and followers, suggesting that the folks who make the steel may know what works for it is not close minded, it is a refreshing change in the exchange of ideas. Heck, I find folks having a few facts beyond “Mr. X” says so very refreshing in itself. But it does threaten the established side show performer’s spotlight so I can understand the backlash.
As for thinking there is only one correct way, well the folks that come up with the magic potions and atom packing hammer techniques always do it in the name of “superior performance”, what the heck is that if not a suggestion that they have found the one way to do it best?! As soon as you say you have a superior performance, logic necessitates that others are inferior to it? And wouldn’t the inferiors have the obligation to demand some facts be placed on the table that consist of more than words?
Please folks, just keep a skeptical Occam’s Razor in the front of your mind and always continue to question the answers as much as we answer the questions and we will all benefit from the results.
Well I am here to say that we are the balancing alternative viewpoints in a community that has operated off from the home-made, improvised formulas and imaginative and unorthodox processing rituals which have been the standard unopposed with the microphone for a very long time.
This argument falls as flat as those that say there needs to be a balance to Fox news or the internet outlets. With folks like Dan Rather at CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN and others feeling so secure in their monopoly on information that they can just manufacture the news when they need to, the new outlets are the balancing viewpoints and still barely moving the scales!
Now I know I took a HUGE risk with that metaphor but please remember I did it in order to illustrated a situation in bladesmithing not to start a political debate, if that one paragraph ends up being all folks want to talk about I will be happy to remove it with apologies. But then we still would not have addressed the real issue.
For years bladesmithing has been dominated by gurus that have many very “interesting” points of view that would be very controversial in the world mete comes from for example (a world that vastly outnumbers us and is barely aware we exist). These gurus have been given carte blanche, in the form of our unquestioning following, to suggest just about anything and have us believe it is correct and entirely effective simply because they say so.
Let me ask this, how many times have we seen questions about one of the gurus techniques answered by a photo of one of their knives with the caption- “you can’t argue with the results”, what the heck! We can’t argue with a picture?! That knife may be beautiful but for all we know, the blade could be a chunk of car bumper (although I am sure somebody is itching to reply that car bumper works for them
).In an area where the same folks have held the microphone unopposed for so long, because their colorful style attracts press and followers, suggesting that the folks who make the steel may know what works for it is not close minded, it is a refreshing change in the exchange of ideas. Heck, I find folks having a few facts beyond “Mr. X” says so very refreshing in itself. But it does threaten the established side show performer’s spotlight so I can understand the backlash.
As for thinking there is only one correct way, well the folks that come up with the magic potions and atom packing hammer techniques always do it in the name of “superior performance”, what the heck is that if not a suggestion that they have found the one way to do it best?! As soon as you say you have a superior performance, logic necessitates that others are inferior to it? And wouldn’t the inferiors have the obligation to demand some facts be placed on the table that consist of more than words?
Please folks, just keep a skeptical Occam’s Razor in the front of your mind and always continue to question the answers as much as we answer the questions and we will all benefit from the results.
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Geez Kevin... don't you have some edge packing to go do? 
I wanted to point out that my post above was only to point out that you may have a hard time getting the oil... but DON'T GIVE UP ON IT!!!!!
Part of my "problem" was being so dead-set on getting ahold of HeatBath products. I'm glad I did, as I think they're some of the best in the industry. I have gotten similar activity in hamon by quenching in Park #50 that I got by quenching in water.
My digital salt bath sure doesn't hurt either...
Cut down as many variables in your blademaking as you can. You'll make better blades and do it consistently.
I once had a VERY WELL KNOWN and respected Mastersmith chastise me in a heat-treating seminar (in front of about 40 or 50 people) because I brought up my salt bath and the control factor of +/- 3 degrees F I have with it.
He said, "I hear all you young guys spouting off about control, but I don't hear you talking about better blades. I don't care what kind of control you may have, it's about how good the knives are."
Well, I feel that if you have better control, it's JUST A GIVEN that you'll be making better product. No matter what we're talking about.... tires, rocket ships, spoons, parachutes, knives... WHATEVER!
Variables are not our friends!
edited to add: Chris, I sent some messages and never heard back. I thank you for reminding me of that contact, as I think I'll try them again.!
Another side note- Most "industry" heat-treating shops (around here anyway) think salts are old school, and have gone mostly to furnaces and coil heat treating. I have found several in the Seattle and Portland area that ask why in the world I would want to use salt, "We've been phasing that out of our shop for the last 10 years."
But I still think it's "cutting edge" for knifemakers (no horrible pun intended).
I wanted to point out that my post above was only to point out that you may have a hard time getting the oil... but DON'T GIVE UP ON IT!!!!!
Part of my "problem" was being so dead-set on getting ahold of HeatBath products. I'm glad I did, as I think they're some of the best in the industry. I have gotten similar activity in hamon by quenching in Park #50 that I got by quenching in water.
My digital salt bath sure doesn't hurt either...
Cut down as many variables in your blademaking as you can. You'll make better blades and do it consistently.
I once had a VERY WELL KNOWN and respected Mastersmith chastise me in a heat-treating seminar (in front of about 40 or 50 people) because I brought up my salt bath and the control factor of +/- 3 degrees F I have with it.
He said, "I hear all you young guys spouting off about control, but I don't hear you talking about better blades. I don't care what kind of control you may have, it's about how good the knives are."
Well, I feel that if you have better control, it's JUST A GIVEN that you'll be making better product. No matter what we're talking about.... tires, rocket ships, spoons, parachutes, knives... WHATEVER!
Variables are not our friends!
edited to add: Chris, I sent some messages and never heard back. I thank you for reminding me of that contact, as I think I'll try them again.!
Another side note- Most "industry" heat-treating shops (around here anyway) think salts are old school, and have gone mostly to furnaces and coil heat treating. I have found several in the Seattle and Portland area that ask why in the world I would want to use salt, "We've been phasing that out of our shop for the last 10 years."
But I still think it's "cutting edge" for knifemakers (no horrible pun intended).
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We can only hope that one day a rating system for knife performace will be developed, one that those who wish can subscribe to and their knives will be described on the basis of total performance.
There is no question in my mind but that bladesmisths of old who at first gained reputation through men who had to fight with their knives knew the quality was there. I also believe that these great knives came from the agricultural community who had needed tools to harvest grain. The bladesmith, or blacksmith who made tools that worked in this venue had one thing few of the knifemakers today had. If their knives worked their product was in demand, if their tools were inferior their market was lacking.
Today our metals are much better than those they had towork with, we have no excuse for not developing our steels to their highest level of potenital. The bladesmith of today is in command of the art, the tools to evaluate performace are available in his shop. Science if it chooses can explain the art of performace, but rarely leads the venture.
While debates like this appear vengeful and many will be more comfortable keeping their head down, I encourage you to stick you neck out, share your thoughts, enjoy the target practice it will draw and must maybe another who reads will try to improve on our champion lady knife.
There is no question in my mind but that bladesmisths of old who at first gained reputation through men who had to fight with their knives knew the quality was there. I also believe that these great knives came from the agricultural community who had needed tools to harvest grain. The bladesmith, or blacksmith who made tools that worked in this venue had one thing few of the knifemakers today had. If their knives worked their product was in demand, if their tools were inferior their market was lacking.
Today our metals are much better than those they had towork with, we have no excuse for not developing our steels to their highest level of potenital. The bladesmith of today is in command of the art, the tools to evaluate performace are available in his shop. Science if it chooses can explain the art of performace, but rarely leads the venture.
While debates like this appear vengeful and many will be more comfortable keeping their head down, I encourage you to stick you neck out, share your thoughts, enjoy the target practice it will draw and must maybe another who reads will try to improve on our champion lady knife.
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