file knife hardness

[tex-archer]

I know that if you make a knife out of a file you need to anneal it. My question is, what hardness do you want it?

[Steve Nuckels]

Are you going to forge it, or stock removal?

If forging it just heat and hammer, if stock removal anneal it and start shaping, your goal here is to make it as soft as possible.  The hardness process will come in the finishing process.

Hope I anwsered your question.

Steve
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Potomac Forge

[tex-archer]

I have seen the knives that still have the file pattern on them and that is what I was going to try to attempt. I have a heat treating oven at work that I was going to use to anneal it. Do I need to reharden it after grinding the shape?

[gudspelr]

If you anneal it, you will need to get it hard again once you've finished the knife, otherwise you'll end up with a soft one that won't keep an edge.  I've read where some guys take the grinding very slowly with a bucket of water nearby so as not to heat the file up and lose its temper.  That way, they didn't need to anneal it to start with-never done it, just heard other guys have.  I know Sticshooter on here (Resurrected Blades) does a lot of file knives.  He might be able to give you some good advice, too.

Good luck, hope it all works out for you.


Jeremy

[Ragnarok Forge]

Anneal it before grinding.  You will eat a lot of belts or grinding wheels if you try to grind it while the blank is hardened.  You definately have to harden it and then temper it after you finish the grind. The heat treat oven at work can be used for that process too.  Quench it in 130 degree canola oil.  Don't use water it will most likely crack.