Quote Originally Posted by BlacknTan View Post
I might suggest that it can be difficult to achieve the Bainite phase, whithout going to either Pearlite or Martensite, and even more difficult to assess whether it has been achieved or not....
But not impossible, and with simple equipment for the motivated. The isothermal transformation diagrams hold all the secrets. Dunno why anyone would go to pearlite first, it really is impossible to get bainite at that point.

I agree with the second statement wholeheartedly. Photomicrographs of martensite and bainite look pretty much alike if you require visual evidence. The hardness is very similar, but if you're willing to break some blades (testing of all that hard work and risking destruction and the heartbreak of work lost) after heat treatment, toughness is what tells the tale. That's not at all difficult to do. It's only painful and courage will overcome that.

My experience is 25 years as a blade maker and blacksmith. I do my own heat treatment in PID controlled high and low temperature salt baths, electric ovens and with good old fire, LP and charcoal, and oil, even water.

I am entirely willing to agree that various shop experiences can be different in their different approaches to metal. It is very often different between the engineers and metallurgists and those guys and gals working on a shop floor.