The best things about this forum is not only the eagerness to learn but also the willingness to share knowledge and experience. For me, I’m here to learn, so I would appreciate if you would share the results of the testing you’ve done to arrive at your conclusions. At what point in your testing did 440C treated in a similar fashion to what I posted, fail so miserably that it was apparent that it was wasting time and steel. Things like the blades wouldn’t sharpen, or they wouldn’t hold an edge, or they were brittle, or just what stood out to give you the impression your tests were a waste of time? As for wasting the steel, everyone on here has wasted more steel with a grinder than would be wasted with a few test blades. You know the internet is so full of “experts” that have never actually done what they are talking about that I really put great value in learning from some someone that has actual knowledge.
When the thread was started, the question wasn’t for options for the optimum heat treat, but for steels that could be heat treated easily and still give an above average blade. In my first post, I was very clear that what I described was not going to get the absolute best out of 440C that was capable, but that it was a method that could be done with equipment that most on here had and would still make a blade that preformed better that most user’s expect out of a knife. The examples of heat treatment for the carbon steels were not for the optimum performance for those steels either, but were accepted as making good usable knives, which was exactly the same thing I said in my post about treating 440C. One test that would be interesting would be to make a knife out of 1095 and heat treat it as excepted. Make the same knife out of 440C and heat-treat it as I described. Put them both in a sheath and leave them lay outside for 2 years without touching them. At the end of 2 years, tell me which knife is more capable of performing it’s designed task. I would imagine the first comment would be that no one would treat a knife like that, but it happens everyday. Anyone one that has made knives for very long, has had a customer show up at their shop with a carbon steel knife that had they had put up with the intention cleaning it and oiling it properly and forgot, and wanted to know if you could do anything to save it. As for what is listed on Admiral Steels website for heat treating, I will point out that they don’t even make a recommendation for heat treating 52100, so is it not to be used for making a knife? I would be really interested in hearing Ed Fowler’s comments when you tell him he’s doing it all wrong because it’s not what
http://www.admiralsteel.com/reference/sstltech.html recommends. I’m in no way comparing myself to the level of skill or in anywhere near the class of Mr. Fowler, but the information wasn’t out there for 52100 when he started either.
As for being off the point, in post #9, son of liberty stated
“So if i decided to use both 01 and 10xx, I'm now stuck with 2 steels that are rust prone. Ill say it, I have never given quality Stainless steel a fair shake, I have bashed the stuff, carried an old Case pocket knife to avoid the stuff, and never use a quality stainless blade so its never had the opportunity to redeem itself. Well I think my 3rd steel would be best as some sort of stainless, it would round me out some and make possible some of the mirror like finishes I have seen you guys put out. I guess what type would be better chosen at the point I'm actually going to use it, but you get the idea.”
dennie