I need some information

[DANA HOLMAN]

Guys
most of you guys have help me out in some way or another and i have a big thanks you for that.
I've only been making knives for about 4 months and have produced about 15 knives, but i'm trying to make as good as a knife as all of you do.
i would like to know how you guys tell, how hard your blades are. do you send them off and have them tested?
i use 01 tool steel heat to nonmagnetic, let it soak for about 20 min. more and them quence it, tempering is done @ 400 degree for 1 hour.
if anyone can tell me how to or where to test it at, or tell me what rockwell hardness this would be.
i say thank you
dana

[kbaknife]

With the info you give here, Dana, it is difficult to answer your questions.
How are you holding your steel at temp for 20 minutes?
Non-magnetic is 1414 or so and O1 should be held at between 1450-1500 and then quenched in a medium speed oil.
What oil are you using?
If you get your O1 fully austenized and then a full martensite transformation, one, 1 hour, 400 degree draw is insufficient.
You would need a minimum 2 hour draw, twice.
You will get retained austenite to transform martensite on the first temper, which will then also need to be tempered/stress relieved on the second go-round.
But this is all assuming that you got full hard on the hardening cycle.
O1 is not all that easy to get full hardness on  with simple equipment.
A person can have some success, but the alloy content of O1 really requires a good long, controlled soak at above 1450. And THEN quenched in a proper medium speed oil of sufficient volume to accomodate the blade.
If you got O1 full hard on the quench, you should not even be able to scratch it with a file.
Then you temper accordingly.
Seems too much attention is place on tempering and not enough on getting full hard to being with.

[DANA HOLMAN]

Karl
I'm still useing the one brick forge with two propane torches, as far as the right temp. and holding above or at 1450 degrees, I'm not sure.
I may not be getting the full hardness, because when i test the blade with the file, it has never bit into the blade, but with the blackening on the blade the file will leave a scratch.

As far as the oil, i'm still useing veg oil.
So if i am reading this right i should be heating twice, right.

I don't mean to sound dumb, but with me only doing this for about 4 months, i don't understand the hole thing about all the different steel.

I did find a place to do the rockwell hardness test here in dallas for 5.00 and punch, they normaly do 3 punches. i think this is pretty cheap.
anyway thanks karl,
dana

[kbaknife]

I sent you a link.