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I was quenching my blades in water for years before a guy in Montana set me straight
I was making a camp knife last fall and the edge kept cracking, every single time. A smith from Missoula saw me do it at a meet and just said, 'You're cooking the steel, not cooling it.' He explained that my 1095 steel needs oil, not water, to cool slow enough. I felt like an idiot for all those ruined blanks. How many of you had a basic process you were doing wrong for way too long?
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umabailey2mo ago
Years of quenching in water and nobody said a word. That Missoula smith saved you a fortune in steel.
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oliver_mitchell28d agoTop Commenter
Yeah I cracked an old farriers rasp trying to water quench it once. Just a loud ping and a hairline split right down the middle. That smith in Missoula probably saved you from buying a whole new anvil or hammer down the road. Next time try a slow oil quench or just let it air cool wrapped in a towel.
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