- Joined
- Dec 21, 2006
- Messages
- 3,158
Hello knife people! This week I have a couple that just came hot off the press, and both have a superb steel we have dubbed "Ultra Blue" due to the fact that it is extremely similar to Hitachi Super Blue but with even more carbon and tungsten. The German DIN number is 1.2562 if you would like to check out the composition. It is also close to the old F2 tool steel. I think this is the highest wear resistant steel of any steel in the "low alloy" category, similar to D2 but with a much finer matrix and much harder carbides. The heat treatment on both of these knives was quite involved. For those that like to nerd out on heat treatment, here you go...
1900°F 30 minutes air cool (super high heat normalize)
1700°F 15 " " " (normalize)
1500°F 15 " " " (thermal cycle)
1500°F 10 " " " (thermal cycle)
1500°F 5 " " " (thermal cycle)
1460°F down to 1200°F at 500° per hour (DET anneal)
1475°F 10 minutes fast oil quench
-100°F sub zero quench
400°F 2 hours
-100°F sub zero quench
400°F 2 hours
400°F 2 hours
Final hardness is 65HRC on both knives. Hand polishing the blade felt like polishing glass! They are very hard and quite wear resistant. Edge retention is excellent. I started the sharpening process with a 400 grit ceramic stone and was getting no where.....slowly. I switched to a 400 grit diamond plate and that got the edge established. Then I switched back to the 400 ceramic, then 1000 ceramic, then Spyderco Fine Ceramic (~3000), then a few light strops on leather with green compound. They both easily take hair off your arm without even contacting the skin. Ultra Blue takes an amazing edge. You don't need diamonds to sharpen it. I just used diamonds to get an edge established efficiently, but you can use whatever stone you like to keep it maintained. You will need to watch for corrosion, as Ultra Blue is not stainless.
Knife # 1 American Verde Ranch Hunter (includes kydex sheath)
OAL: 8 3/4"
Blade: 4 1/4"
Handle: 4 1/2" Black/Gray G10 with red/white/blue spacers and lanyard tube
Thickness: 0.075"
Steel: Ultra Blue (1.2562) 65HRC
Edge: 12° per side, 6 micron
Price: $175.00
Paypal preferred (samuraistuart@yahoo.com). This is also my email address in case you would like to contact me that way. Free shipping anywhere in the USA! All knives come with an unlimited life time warranty! I just ask that the buyer keep in mind that my knives are not the proverbial pry bar, and I use thin stock, thin grinds, and hard steel for excellent cutting ability and edge retention. If you have any questions, feel free to DM me or send an email! Thanks for taking a look and follow me on Instagram: stuartalandavenport
1900°F 30 minutes air cool (super high heat normalize)
1700°F 15 " " " (normalize)
1500°F 15 " " " (thermal cycle)
1500°F 10 " " " (thermal cycle)
1500°F 5 " " " (thermal cycle)
1460°F down to 1200°F at 500° per hour (DET anneal)
1475°F 10 minutes fast oil quench
-100°F sub zero quench
400°F 2 hours
-100°F sub zero quench
400°F 2 hours
400°F 2 hours
Final hardness is 65HRC on both knives. Hand polishing the blade felt like polishing glass! They are very hard and quite wear resistant. Edge retention is excellent. I started the sharpening process with a 400 grit ceramic stone and was getting no where.....slowly. I switched to a 400 grit diamond plate and that got the edge established. Then I switched back to the 400 ceramic, then 1000 ceramic, then Spyderco Fine Ceramic (~3000), then a few light strops on leather with green compound. They both easily take hair off your arm without even contacting the skin. Ultra Blue takes an amazing edge. You don't need diamonds to sharpen it. I just used diamonds to get an edge established efficiently, but you can use whatever stone you like to keep it maintained. You will need to watch for corrosion, as Ultra Blue is not stainless.
Knife # 1 American Verde Ranch Hunter (includes kydex sheath)
OAL: 8 3/4"
Blade: 4 1/4"
Handle: 4 1/2" Black/Gray G10 with red/white/blue spacers and lanyard tube
Thickness: 0.075"
Steel: Ultra Blue (1.2562) 65HRC
Edge: 12° per side, 6 micron
Price: $175.00
Paypal preferred (samuraistuart@yahoo.com). This is also my email address in case you would like to contact me that way. Free shipping anywhere in the USA! All knives come with an unlimited life time warranty! I just ask that the buyer keep in mind that my knives are not the proverbial pry bar, and I use thin stock, thin grinds, and hard steel for excellent cutting ability and edge retention. If you have any questions, feel free to DM me or send an email! Thanks for taking a look and follow me on Instagram: stuartalandavenport
