How thin do you make your knives Pre-HT?

C

Cameron Wilcox

Well-Known Member
I am new to knife making and have heard here and there comments about how thin to make your edge before you HT and they are always diffrent. Just trying to get all the information in one place for anyone else starting out.
 
Yes, it depends upon how they will be heat-treated. If you are using hot salts you can even put an edge on it first... but for most of us mortals, if you are sending them out to be heat-treated, ask the heat-treater. If you are doing it yourself in less than ideal conditions, leave approximately the thickness of a dime, or 1mm to the edge, as this helps prevent decarborization and warping.
 
I have re-heat treated blades after I've put a rough edge on them successfully but, I general, I see no reason to possibly cause problems when they can be avoided. I leave a dime's thickness, or maybe just a little less, before I heat treat. That way there is just a little sacrificial steel left for grinding the crud off the blade and to refine the scratch pattern. It's also a bit safer to not have a rough edge on the blade before doing clean up and scratch pattern refinement after the hardening and tempering. If the grinding belt catches a blade with a rough edge already on it you could be headed to the ER for stitches or maybe to a hand specialist for a tendon repair so be very careful how you hold the blade if you put a rough edge on it before the final grind.
 
Stainless and all other air hardening steels I go down to .015-.020, unless it is a long thin fillet knife, then I heat treat then grind. Oil quench steels get .030-.040, this allows for cleanup of the decarb, and also helps to prevent warpage.
 
John Barker said:
about 3/16". I grind after HT.
-John
Click to expand...

Same here , I do all of my grinding after heat treat !!! Saves time from handling them two different times for the same procedure in my opinion !!! just dont go to fast and get it hot !!! keep water real close , grind then dip grind then dip !!
 
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