Thread: Looking for the best heat treatment for O1

Thanks, Mike!

I missed your answer and I am tempering now.
I reduced my soaking time to around 9 minutes and with opening my oven' door I was able to reach at 798-805C. My tempering time 2x2h, 215C. I will see.

Do I understan well I can repeat the tempering cycle anytime after the hardening?

Originally Posted by Mike Blue

All this being said, I would suspect that very few shavers will ever test one of your blades to the breaking point except by accident. If you are getting good shaves from your razors, does the grain size make all that much difference? If not, make good razors and remain curious in your own shop but don't worry about the customers. All they want is a good handmade shave. If the honers grumble that your razors eat their stones, now then, you're making very good razors. Ha!

I am thinking about this.

Yes, you can repeat tempering as often as needed until the hardness you want is dialed in. On mystery steels, start at a lower temperature and advance the temperature slightly and repeat the cycle until it performs as you want it to. You can remove hardness a little at a time this way, but you can't put the hardness back in, unless you repeat the HT cycle again.

Many thanks. Actually I understand why you worte the starting temperature should be 190C.

This is my kind of thread Gregg.

Originally Posted by Mike Blue

All this being said, I would suspect that very few shavers will ever test one of your blades to the breaking point except by accident. If you are getting good shaves from your razors, does the grain size make all that much difference? If not, make good razors and remain curious in your own shop but don't worry about the customers. All they want is a good handmade shave. If the honers grumble that your razors eat their stones, now then, you're making very good razors. Ha!

+1

I don't want to discourage anyone from the scientific approach. Science is good.
However, smiths have created absolutely fabulous blades for centuries by eyeballing the color.
In fact, smiths in Japan still do so today.

Just like the true sharpness test for honing is in the shave, the test for heat treatment is in the shave. If the shaves are good and edge retention is good, the heat treatment was good.

Originally Posted by Bruno

+1

I don't want to discourage anyone from the scientific approach. Science is good.
However, smiths have created absolutely fabulous blades for centuries by eyeballing the color.
In fact, smiths in Japan still do so today.

Just like the true sharpness test for honing is in the shave, the test for heat treatment is in the shave. If the shaves are good and edge retention is good, the heat treatment was good.

I thought that was the point of this thread? He thinks his heat treatment might be the cause of the poor edge retention so he's looking for answers. How can you eyeball it until you know what 'it' looks like?

Originally Posted by Bruno

+1
Just like the true sharpness test for honing is in the shave, the test for heat treatment is in the shave. If the shaves are good and edge retention is good, the heat treatment was good.

Yes, I understand this but I think there are good/average edge and the perfect edge. I want to get the maximum from O1.
I am not satisfied with the current results. Not just with my own heat treatment.

Originally Posted by mikew

I thought that was the point of this thread? He thinks his heat treatment might be the cause of the poor edge retention so he's looking for answers. How can you eyeball it until you know what 'it' looks like?

No, not just mine HT. I bought my oven because I want to keep everything in my hand. But it is also possible that I am overthinking this problem.

Originally Posted by mikew

I thought that was the point of this thread? He thinks his heat treatment might be the cause of the poor edge retention so he's looking for answers. How can you eyeball it until you know what 'it' looks like?

By repeating and testing, and paying attention.
My first attempts at HT were hit and miss. That's normal.
That is why you have to look at the colors before quenching, look at the steel after quenching, spark test (Very important) after quenching and before tempering. Etc.

It's a learning curve, but you can easily correlate the results (shave test, spark test, breaking the blade) with what you did in terms of color, soak time, things you noticed during the quench. After some experimenting and trial and error, you can fairly quickly correlate 'it' with the results you desire.

I would have "double liked" that post Bruno, it's a learning curve for sure.