TASelf
Well-Known Member
When I was making knives in '03 I was using the then prevailing recommendation "beginner steel" of O1. I never had a hard time getting it to harden and seeing the austenizing "ghosting" happen. I was quite pleased with my blade performance at that time. Now that I am getting back into knife making the prevailing wisdom seems to recommend 1084 for people with standard blacksmithing (blown gas forge) tools. I cannot get the 1084 to harden properly. Same forge I used back then, only re-coated and added a muffle pipe after initial attempts weren't successful. First using the color charts as a guage my steel is WELL into orange (1600'ish based on the color charts) before it becomes non-magentic. Working at night with back light. I've tried both 130 degree canola oil and brine (spring water and salt in 10% sol) when the Canola didn't work on both 1/8 and 3/16 samples and rough ground blades...still not hard enough to be brittle, a file skates marginally, but I never see the ghosting of transformation I did with O1. I've tried many samples and thickness, cherry red isn't even close to non-magnetic. When it gets to non-magentic it's very orange and has been soaked for 10 minutes or more and still doesn't get really hard. Quenchant is directly under the muffle pipe and in very quickly and agitated.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, 1084 theoretically should be the perfect steel for me...I'd really like to figure it out.
Thanks, Tom
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, 1084 theoretically should be the perfect steel for me...I'd really like to figure it out.
Thanks, Tom