Where to Heat Treat

B

Bob Lyon

Joined
Aug 11, 1999
Messages
69
I'm working on my first knife and am wondering who you all like to use for heat treating. If it make a difference I live on the east coast.
Also, once I got the bug to make a knife I figured I'd use a 12x2x1/4 inch piece of steel a welder gave me years back when I was going to fix (but never did) a latch on my pickup. What do you think this steel might be? Can a heat treater give it a "generic" treatment if I don't know what it is?
Thanks.
Bob
 
I'd suspect that the steel is a pretty mild steel (meaning it won't contain much carbon) and it may not respond well to heat treatment. However, all is not lost if it doesn't respond well to heat treatment, scrap steel is good for practice.

If you want a good steel to make a knife out of that will heat treat, I suggest buying a piece of 1095 or O1. These are pretty simple and easy to work and are very cost effivient.
 
Thanks for the info, Spencer. I suspect now that's it's just a mild structural steel. The knife so far looks nice (everyone's first knife looks nice to the maker, I bet), and I'll finish it up for practice, then it's on to a better steel.
Bob
 
I've been very impressed with the heat-treatment service offered by Texas Knifemaker's Supply. They've only done 440C and ATS-34 for me so far, but they will treat any air-hardening type (may need directions if it's rare). They also offer cryo-treating. They can be reached at (713) 461-8632.

For what it's worth, my first knife always looked very ugly to me... probably because I designed it with two other fellows. Too many cooks spoil the stew!
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=33148&a=336172&p=11250703

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-Drew Gleason
Little Bear Knives
 
Bob,
Go get some old leaf springs from a car. Cheap, good to practice with and will harden into a good knife.
Dan
 
bob,
i'm on my 9th knife and so far it's a real beauty, it's a 14" bowie knife, i went with 0-1 tool steel, nice steel but it's tuff to grind. i went through 2 ceramic belts, 36grt. the steel choice should depend on your knife size, for a small knife, about 7", you could use A-2 tool steel and have no trouble, but if you like big knives, like me try 1095, if you use a belt sander, get 36grt zirconias, they'll do a good job, and grind fast, norton's are probably the best. if you have any questions on the knife, i'm on here eveyday, so ask anything.
 
It depends on what kind of steel you want heat treated, and how many pieces you intend to have done. If it is an air hardening steel like 440C or D-2, and you just have a few pieces, Texas Knifemaker's Supply does a good job, and their piece price is reasonable.
I've been using a shop in Racine, WI called Metal-Lab. They are a commercial tool and die heat treating shop. They do heat treating by the pound, and the minimum is about two pounds of steel, plus shipping If you're doing 8-10 blades, its a much better price than TKS, and they include cryo treating on some steels in with the price.
Their phone # is 414-554-8770. Turnaround time is fairly fast, since they do several tons of D-2 a day, and 440C or ATS-34 a couple times a week.

For 'simple' carbon or spring steels, one of the best guys around for heat treating is Howard Clark in Runnells, IA. Not fast, but his thing is heat treating. He will also do what is known as a bainite temper on 5160 spring steel, and L-6. He basically spring tempers the entire blade in a salt bath, then flame hardens the edge. phone #515-966-2126

hope this helps

madpoet
 
Bob Lyon, To reply to your question about heat treating your mystery steel. If you had a small leftover piece that you could send to me I could test it and see if it can be hardened. If it hardens, I can heat treat it... I've been forging and heat treating knives for myself and other makers for 10 plus years and have run across alot of mystery metals.... You can contact me at bearoates@aol.com and I can give you more info. Bearclaw
 
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