The equalizing referred to in many spec sheets is generally there in reference to industrial parts and processes. I believe it is largely to insure the part goes through phase changes, more or less as a unit, often somewhere around 1400F. This can be important if, for instance, the part is thick and the core is lagging behind the heat of the exterior - or similarly, if the HT is by forge or industrial oven, where the temperature may climb so fast that the workpiece lags in temperature,
For knifemakers, we are dealing with a thin part that isn't going to have much difference between the inside and outside. The electric kilns we use heat up so slowly, that the workpiece temperature is unlikely to have any meaningful difference. The blade pretty much self-equalizes as it heats.
I would suggest that with something as thin as a knife blade, in something as slow as the kilns we use, that no equalization is necessary. If you do use a short equalizing step, it probably meets the test of "do no harm".
Rob!