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Too much heat for too long grows grain size. There may be more factors I don't know about, but if you are properly thermal cycling, you are essentially rebooting the steel to a good starting point for hardening. So thermal cycling should not be growing your grain.

With the addition of a digital furnace some years ago, I have swapped to a single quench and have had good results. Being able to set a specific temperature makes life easier. Three normalization cycles and three 1 hour or two 2 hour temper cycles are not going away, though. :)

I wouldn't necessarily say you can't get a good heat treatment out of 80CrV2 with an eyeball heat treatment, but it is going to be harder to be consistent, and you won't be getting the most out of the steel without being able to soak at a set temperature. I eyeball heat treated for years...

Thanks, Raymond! I'd like to take a crack at it, but didn't get past the initial questionnaire when I applied. I'm at the point where I'm equally ok with going back on TV or not. Got a lot on the knifemaking front regardless, and I get some vicarious fun because I know a number of people...

Thank y'all, glad to hear it had made on TV at least a little.

Thank y'all! :) Anthony - Was it on TV? I applied, but didn't make it past the initial questionnaire. I don't know if they were full up on FiF contestants, or what. I'd like to run the course.

Thank y'all! :) Justin - That's the ram dao influence. :D

Depends on whether you're normalizing or hardening. If you'll shoot me an e-mail at helmforge@gmail.com, I'll forward you the HT schedule I follow. That's an open invite to anyone wanting it, by the way. :) Just say "80CrV2 HT Schedule" in the subject.

I'm sure some of y'all have seen the new open cutting competition show on the History Channel, "Knife or Death". While I haven't gotten to compete on it (Several "Forged in Fire" competitors, including Rashelle Hams from my episode, have been on. She did quite well.), I did get to be involved...

80CrV2 would make a great hunter, but you aren't going to get the most performance out of it if you aren't able to soak at temp for 10+ minutes at a time. I just had a customer use his 80CrV2 blade from me to process a deer, including chopping through the neck bone, leg bones, and pelvis, and...

I'm sure some of y'all have seen the new open cutting competition show on the History Channel, "Knife or Death". While I haven't gotten to compete on it (Several "Forged in Fire" competitors, including Rashelle Hams from my episode, have been on. She did quite well.), I did get to be involved...

For a sense of scale, the sword in the talented hands of its maker. bsw17 by James Helm, on Flickr Got too hold this a bit at Blade Show West, it was quite light for its size. Loved it!

A better look at the forged blades. All wrapped handles. The cleavers are 5160, the rest are 80CrV2. The hemp wraps were torched prior to being impregnated with epoxy. Sheaths are Boltaron. Especially with the cleavers, I've been working on getting closer to the final shape with my power...

Ken, no worries, should have stuck around and say hi! :) Each Blade Show is busier. I didn't even get a chance to go to the second room, and I sure wanted to!

A better look at the forged blades. All wrapped handles. The cleavers are 5160, the rest are 80CrV2. The hemp wraps were torched prior to being impregnated with epoxy. Sheaths are Boltaron. Especially with the cleavers, I've been working on getting closer to the final shape with my power...

It has been a very busy summer and I haven't kept things updated as I should. Had an awesome Blade Show this year (first weekend in June! I am way behind!), and two full tables of inventory. This year had the distinction of the *first* show I've ever had a table where I wasn't having to...

Rather fond of the second and fourth ones. :)

It has been a very busy summer and I haven't kept things updated as I should. Had an awesome Blade Show this year (first weekend in June! I am way behind!), and two full tables of inventory. This year had the distinction of the *first* show I've ever had a table where I wasn't having to...

Thank y'all! :) Chris - To me, the main aesthetics come from the overall flow of lines in the profile. Everything inside that is embellishment. :D

If you pick up a copy of the November 2018 "Knives Illustrated" magazine, you'll see a well-written article about one of my knives by Waysun Johnny Tsai. article02 by James Helm, on Flickr article01 by James Helm, on Flickr This 7 1/2" bladed variation of my Benghazi Warfighter model got put...