What to quench RR spike knives in?

I'm not suggesting that spike "knives" (Very Heavy Letter Openers) shouldn't be tempered, but somehow got the idea in my head that with superquench only the edge, outside surface cools fast enough to harden at all, is that true? A destructo test would be in order either way..
 
If you have enough spikes, go ahead and do a comparison between tempered and untempered. One poster from a different forum said he had experimented with RR spikes. Both HC and the lower carbon. He quenched in several mediums including brine - they all bent when he hammered on them. But he might not have got them hot enough for the quench. Make your knives, quench, clean them up real nice and do a differential temper at the forge. Leave the oxide colors in place, oil them up, and gift them with the pretty colors.
 
after quench you can add a deep cooling home made with salt water and crushed ice. it will add the the end result.

temper at least twice with intermediate cooling in water. make a 3rd temper with a lower temperature for stress relieving.

test the knife and be happy :D
 
Salt/water bath will reach a max of -4F/-20C. That will make no change in low carbon steel.....no will any low temp treatment. You have neither RA or carbides to deal with in a RR spike.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top