PSA: Forged a knife blade too thin and it snapped in half on the quench

I was working on a kitchen knife last Tuesday in my shop near Denver, using 1095 steel. Got the blade ground down to maybe 1/16th of an inch at the edge before heat treat, thought I was being smart saving time on finishing. Dropped it into the oil and heard a loud ping - came out in two pieces. Had to start over from a fresh bar and take it slower. Anyone else ruin a blade by pushing the geometry too early?

2 comments

2 Comments

olivia_barnes9715d ago

Pushed the geometry too early" is putting it mildly, 1/16th at the edge before quench is basically asking for it with 1095. What temp did you have your oil at when you dropped it in, and did you let the blade normalize at all before that final heat cycle? That thin of an edge with that steel would snap on a lot of quenches unless everything was dialed in perfectly.

amy_reed7915d agoTop Commenter

I mean yeah it cracked but I've seen way worse survive with just a little luck and decent oil. People act like 1095 is some kind of ticking time bomb but half the time it's just bad timing or a draft in the shop. If your oil is hot enough and you don't hesitate on the quench that 1/16th edge is usually fine, not ideal but fine.