Cru-foge V HT

Steve Randall

Well-Known Member
Ok so has any one used this steel and had it tested. I was testing some steels to see how my procedures were working in the Heat Treating process and my cur-forge came out a little low ( RC 57) before tempering. I was a little disappointed . I use McMaster-Carr quenching fluid(11 sec.) works great on other steel . Any comment Thanks Steve Randall
 
I heated to 1550 short soak 5 min then quenched. I have tested some of the knives I made with it for holding edge etc. and have performed great. Thanks Steve
 
I have been soaking for 10 minutes at 1525, temper twice for 2 hours each @ 410. I have not had them hardness tested but extensive shop testing of the edge seems to show good hardness. I shave little curls off a common 16 penny nail, if the same spot on the edge will do this repeatedly it is usually in the right hardness range, if it is soft the edge will usually roll over a tiny bit and will stop biting into the nail. You have to sharpen with consistent edge geometry for it to be of much value but if you have a few other blades of known hardness to compare with you can get a decent idea of where you are at.
Cru-Forge V seems to decarb at a faster rate than any other steel I have worked with, even blades that I have made from it by stock removal come out of HT with what seems like an in-ordinate amount. Almost fooled me on one blade, had me stressed out about my procedure for a day or two when the edge rolled under testing. If you did not grind a good bit off your test pieces before testing, you might take another .010 off and test again just to be sure.
 
Thanks for the response. It may be decarbing, I didn't grind much at all after heat treating maybe that's it . Yes my test blade have performed great, one I took all the way to destruction ( cut 2x4, cut nails,cut rope and still shave no edge curl or wear ) . That's why I was surprised when the test pieces had RC 57 (RC 51 after tempering ). Thanks Steve
 
Here's the heat treat instructions from Crucible:

Forging
1700-2000°F Do not forge below 1600°F. Slow cool or anneal after forging.​
Annealing
Heat to 1450°F, hold long enough to make sure temperature is uniform, slow cool to below 200°F. Annealed Hardness: About BHN 180​
Preheat
Heat to 1200-1250°F (650-675°C) Equalize.​
Austenitize
Heat to 1500-1550°F (820-845°C) Equalize. Quench in oil.​
Temper
Double temper at 400-500°F recommended. Approximate hardness after double tempering is shown below. Actual hardness will depend on hardening temperature and quench rate.​
Code:
Temper: 350 400 425 450 500 550 600
HRC:     62  61  59  58  58  56  55
 
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