Thread: Custom "Steel Piranha" 10/8 No Scales

Hello Everyone,

Finished this no scales straight for one of our members. The steel is O1 with near 1/2 hollow grind. The blade width is 10/8 with a tiered and tapered handle at a weight of 2.2 oz. This one I treated with a liquid nitrogen soak in conjunction with with normal tempers. Have been working with Liquid Nitrogen treatments as of late and am pleased with the results thus far, especially with the A2 steel. Nothing scientific to report, I'll leave that up to the scientists.

Have a great week!

Best Regards Kenny

Very Nice ken.Whats the theory about Liq,Nitrogen?

Wow. Great work!

That is a beautiful blade!

Charlie

Nice one Ken! I love the size.

Thanks Guys !

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Very Nice ken.Whats the theory about Liq,Nitrogen?

Hey Bill ,

I do not consider myself an expert on this particular subject but have a working understanding thus far. In a nutshell, getting the steel to temps below -320f or so, some improvements begins to be seen in the properties of the steel depending on a variety of factors such as soak time stress relief... Iguess Liquid Helium is colder at -457f but I'll stick with LN for the moment. Actually, some feel that this improvement begins closer to -120f but the full benefit is with the use of LN not dry ice. One of the primary benefits is the transformation of the retained austenite to martensite. In simple HC steels such as 10xx and other alloy steels such as O1 there is a question as to how much benefit there really is to this treatment since in O1 you should be getting about 99% +/- transformation on a proper heat treat, but some studies that I have read have shown noticeable differences in stress relief, stability and longevity of the steel when put to use. Some show more flexibility in thin sections, toughness etc. There is even some reports of a slight increase in the Rockwell 1-2 +/- but most feel that this is not the case and I tend to agree. Also, there appears to be evidence showing significant benefit in more complex steels such as A2. The deep freeze temps seem to assist to a more even alignment of Chromium Carbides which are produced by the carbon combining with the Chromium to form tiny hard granules surrounded by softer steel. I guess I might think of it as concrete with reinforcement aggregate. In A2 for razors this can create a little complexity in getting a shavable/non/toothy edge but this can be overcome and once sharp, it stays that way longer. The same can be said about machine cutting dies etc. I have seen some reports that indicate a temper should be done post heat treat and pre LN dip then two subsequent tempers. This for me makes the most sense. However, I have read that in industrial application studies, going straight to the LN at about 120F them temper provided the best results. I guess there is a little art to it since most of the research that I have seen is based on large section and since we are dealing with something much smaller, differences/adjustments may or will be applicable.

Best Regards Kenny

Thanks Ken,I knew all that stuff)) J/K

ie. above is what I used to convince my wife to buy more stuff/equiptment to work with the LN. Truth is, I just wanted some more toys and LN is fun to play with, Safety First! hehe

Awesome job at pushing the design envelope Kenny. Loving what you come up with.
Do you make knives as well? i only ask as i find the Cryogenic treatments do make noticeable differences {positive ones} in knife performance. Razors are used in a very narrow way {ie; just for shaving} so i am not really sure how much difference it really makes to a razor. Not a negative in any way. Just not sure i would notice it. On a knife as it is used for a lot more cutting of various materials differences in performance are more noticeable to me.
Either way, as you said - as long as you're having fun!
Adam

Originally Posted by Adam G.

Awesome job at pushing the design envelope Kenny. Loving what you come up with.
Do you make knives as well? i only ask as i find the Cryogenic treatments do make noticeable differences {positive ones} in knife performance. Razors are used in a very narrow way {ie; just for shaving} so i am not really sure how much difference it really makes to a razor. Not a negative in any way. Just not sure i would notice it. On a knife as it is used for a lot more cutting of various materials differences in performance are more noticeable to me.
Either way, as you said - as long as you're having fun!
Adam

I think that you bring up a good point Adam as it relates to the LN treatment razors vs. knives. I do also make knives and agree as you mentioned "noticeable differences {positive ones} in knife performance". Jury is still out for me on a list of noticable differences in razors, since I have not had a lengthy history with the use of LN on straights. Time will tell, I guess. In the meantime we'll just keep exploring, experimenting and having fun.

Best Regards Kenny