Forging temps changed my blade quality completely in 2 weeks

I switched from just eye-balling the color to using a temp gun on my last batch of chef knives, and the difference is wild. After about 14 days of consistent 1475°F heats before quench, I stopped getting micro cracks near the edge. Has anyone else seen a big jump in consistency after getting serious about heat control?

3 comments

3 Comments

grace_campbell19d ago

My 62 year old hands know exactly what you mean. I had the same problem for years with public demo knives, always chasing that perfect color in the forge. Once I got a proper digital pyrometer and locked in at 1475 for 1095, the hairline cracks just stopped showing up. It was like night and day after that second week of discipline.

lee_reed19d ago

I had the same problem until I started keeping a forge log. Just a college ruled notebook on the bench. I write down the temp, the soak time, and the quenchant temp for every blade. After 40 blades I could predict exactly which combos would crack. Turns out my oil was getting too hot on the third and fourth knives of the day. Letting it cool back to 120 between quenches fixed more issues than the pyrometer did.

fiona98519d ago

That's interesting you say that... isn't it funny how the same lesson shows up everywhere? I've noticed it with cooking too. You can't just wing it with a steak or a loaf of bread and expect perfect results every time. It took me burning a few roasts before I realized heat control is heat control whether you're in a forge or a kitchen.