What a Good Heat Treatment Can and Cannot Do

[Larrin]

An article about how heat treatment affects knife properties. Including 9 ways to perform a “bad” heat treatment, how hardness affects properties, the important variables within good heat treatments, and how steel and edge geometry affect knife performance compared with heat treatment. https://knifesteelnerds.com/2019/07/01/what-a-good-heat-treatment-can-and-cannot-do/

 

[FiveToes]

Now I've got to take a break and go read this!

 

[dirc]

Larrin is creating the defacto standard treatise on steel for knife enthusiasts as well as makers. I can't wait till he publishes his book, I'll be getting 3 copies (2 for friends)

thanks again Larrin, your article release frequency is really impressive, at this rate you'll be ready to publish in no time = )

 

[Larrin]

Larrin is creating the defacto standard treatise on steel for knife enthusiasts as well as makers. I can't wait till he publishes his book, I'll be getting 3 copies (2 for friends)

thanks again Larrin, your article release frequency is really impressive, at this rate you'll be ready to publish in no time = )

I'm glad you're looking forward to the book that I haven't started yet or fully committed to writing. It would be nice to have a book someday though.

 

[dirc]

you're already doing all the work... put all your articles in between 2 covers and a bit of editing and you're golden
(find a publisher that will give you a decent % etc)

 

[Glenn Goodlett]

As I get older and learn more, my only understanding is how little I know.

Thanks for the article or paper.

 

[Banter 247]

This is one I’ve specifically been hoping to see presented. It ties a lot of things together beautifully.

 

[Larrin]

This is one I’ve specifically been hoping to see presented. It ties a lot of things together beautifully.

I'm glad it helps!

 

[Wowbagger]

Some knifemakers are known for having “super,” “excellent,” or even “legendary” heat treatments. It can be hard to evaluate how much of this is legend and how much is truth. There can definitely be big differences between good heat treatments and the “bad” heat treatments discussed at the beginning of this article. But designing heat treatments that lead to more than 10-20% improvement in any given category for a given hardness is very difficult.. . . . I would find a massive improvement to be very doubtful. While many knifemakers perform very good heat treatments, I would treat with skepticism any claims that a knifemaker’s heat treatment is head and shoulders above the rest.

I almost stopped reading and asked : Then how do you explain the head and shoulders dif. of Phil Wilson's knives in the Ankerson tests ?

Looks like you answer that here. He sure uses thin edges besides great heat treat etc.

For the reasons provided above, I think that a lot of knifemakers have a reputation for excellent heat treatment get that way because of superior knife design and execution.

Thank you for the education !


(PS : I'd buy "The Book")
(PPS: In spite of you being so grumpy)
(PPPS: I'm grumpy too)
(PPPPS : You might be grumpy but I'm grumpier ! )

 

[Larrin]

Phil uses high wear resistance steel heat treated hard in thin blades. No magic there just an understanding of how things work (which is head and shoulders above many others).

I’m actually not grumpy, I just don’t waste my time arguing.