Originally Posted by
Mike Blue
I went through the listed pdf's. The only cutlery grade steel in their catalog is 420 stainless. All the rest are mostly fabricating or structural steels. It will work for a razor but requires precise temperature controls over time. There is a ramp and hold time and then a ramp up to critical temperature. Plus you should control the atmosphere. I guess what I'm saying is that it's fairly specialized and not for a beginner without HT tooling. If you can find a HT shop that will do it then it's good enough. Some of the knife making supply houses (Jantz, the above link to the NJ site, etc.) will have predictable selections of steel for blades at fair prices. ENCO's good too.