1075
Shop 1075 · from $2.00- Austenitize
- Heat to 1,500°F.
- Quench
- Medium oil quench.
- Temper
- At least one temper for 30 minutes. Tempering twice for two hours each time is preferred.
Heat treat info
Austenitize, quench, temper and cryo guidance for 42 blade steels.
Never exceed the maximum austenitize temperature. If you overshoot it by even a small amount, toughness drops dramatically.
1084
Shop 1084 · from $4.10- Austenitize
- Heat to 1,500°F.
- Quench
- Fast to medium oil quench.
- Temper
- At least one temper for 30 minutes. Tempering twice for two hours each time is preferred.
1095
Shop 1095 · from $3.40- Austenitize
- Heat to 1,475°F.
- Quench
- Fast oil quench.
- Temper
- Temper twice for two hours each time.
154CM
Not in stock right now- Preheat
- Heat to 1,400 and equalize temperature.
- Austenitize
- Increase temperature to 1,900-2,000°F and hold for 30-60 minutes.
- Quench
- Plate, air or positive pressure quench.
- Temper
- Two times at 400-1,200°F for 2 hours minimum each time. Cool to room temperature between tempers. Note: Tempering at 800-1,100°F results in a minor reduction in both corrosion resistance and toughness.
- Cryogenic Treating
- A cryo treatment is recommended after quench. Cryogenic treatment must be followed by a temper.
15N20
Shop 15N20 · from $2.40- Austenitize
- Heat to 1,480°F.
- Quench
- Medium oil quench.
- Temper
- Temper at least once for 30 minutes. Tempering twice for two hours each time is preferred.
26C3
Shop 26C3 · from $2.70- Austenitize
- Heat to 1,475°F. Soak for ten minutes.
- Quench
- The mill recommends quenching in water. We used Parks 50 with excellent results. The as quenched hardness we measured was a little under HRC 68.
- Note
- We do not recommend water quenching for damascus billets containing 26C3.
- Temper
- Temper twice for two hours each time.
440B
Shop 440B · from $6.60- Preheat
- Heat to 1,400°F. Equalize Temperature.
- Austenitize
- Ramp to 1,850-1,950°F and hold at temperature for 30 minutes.
- Quench
- Plate, air or medium oil quench to below 125°F.
- Temper
- Temper immediately after quenching or cyro. Hold at temperature for two hours minimum and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Cryogenic Treating
- Cyro may be performed after quenching to 125°F to reduce retained austenite. After cyro allow blade to warm to room temperature.
440C
Shop 440C · from $5.00- Preheat
- Heat to 1,400°F. Equalize temperature.
- Austenitize
- Ramp to 1850-1950°F and hold at temperature for 30 minutes.
- Quench
- Plate, air or medium oil quench to below 125°F.
- Cryogenic Treating
- Cyro may be performed after quenching to 125°F to reduce retained austenite. After cyro allow blade to warm to room temperature.
- Temper
- Temper immediately after quenching or cyro. Hold at temperature for two hours minimum and allow to cool to room temperature.
52100
Shop 52100 · from $4.90- Austenitize
- Heat to 1,545-1,615°F and hold for 5 minutes.
- Quench
- Medium oil quench.
- Temper
- Temper twice for two hours each time.
- Note
- If you want better performance, Knife Steel Nerds outlines advanced heat treating processes.
80CrV2
Shop 80CrV2 · from $4.10- Austenitize
- Heat to 1,545-1,615°F and hold for 5 minutes.
- Quench
- Medium oil quench.
- Temper
- Temper twice for two hours each time.
8670
Shop 8670 · from $3.70- Austenitize
- Heat to 1,560-1,635°F and hold for 5 minutes.
- Quench
- Medium oil quench.
- Temper
- Temper twice for two hours each time.
A2
Shop A2 · from $17.00- Preheat
- Heat to 1,100-1,250°F, equalize temperature, then to 1,350-1,450°F. Equalize temperature.
- Austenitize
- 1,750-1,800°F, hold at temperature 30-45 minutes.
- Quench
- Plate, air or positive pressure quench to below 125°F.
- Temper
- At least twice at 400-1,000°F for 2 hours minimum each time. Cool to room temperature between tempers.
- Cryogenic Treating
- After the first temper may improve long term dimensional stability by transforming retained austenite. Any cryogenic treatment must be followed by a temper.
A11
Shop A11 · from $27.20- Preheat
- 1,500-1,550°F. Equalize temperature.
- Austenitize
- Heat rapidly from preheat. For optimum wear resistance, soak for 5-15 minutes at 2,150°F. For balance of wear resistance and toughness, soak for 15-30 minute at 2,050°F. For maximum toughness and minimum distortion in cooling, soak for 30-60 minutes at 1,975°F. Quench in pressurized gas, or warm oil then cool in still air to 125°F.
- Temper
- Temper immediately after quenching. Typical temperature range is 1,000-1,100°F. Do not temper below 1,000°F. Hold at temperature for two hours then air cool to ambient temperature. Double tempering is required. Triple tempering is required when austenitized at 2,100°F or higher.
A8 Modified
Shop A8 Modified · from $12.20- Preheat
- It is very important to preheat A8 Modified. Here is the results of testing we performed: Coupon 1: Heated at a rate not exceeding 400°F per hour up to 1,450°F and paused. Heated slowly to 1,850°F. Began 30 minute soak. Coupon 2: Put in oven at 1,450°F. One hour ramp up to 1,850°F. Began 30 minute soak. Coupon 3: Put in oven at 1,850°F. Began 30 minute soak. As quenched hardness: Coupon 1: 61 HRC Coupon 2: 61 HRC Coupon 3: 57 HRC
- Austenitize
- Heat to 1,750-1,900°F and hold for 30 minutes.
- Quench
- Plate, air or medium oil quench.
- Temper
- Temper immediately after quenching. Temper for two hours minimum. Two temper cycles are recommended if you are tempering at 900°F or hotter.
AEB-L
Shop AEB-L · from $2.50- Preheat
- Heat to 1,560°. Equalize temperature.
- Austenitize
- Heat to 1,940-1,975°F. Soak times are listed below. 1,940°F = 15 minutes. 1,975°F = 5 minutes.
- Quench
- Plate, oil or air quench as quickly as possible.
- Cryogenic Treating
- To get the most from AEB-L you must cryo as soon as possible. Cool to -95°F. No soak is required.
- Temper
- Temper immediately after hardening or cryo. Temper at least 2 times for two hours each time.
🔥 Beta C Titanium
Not in stock right now- Quench
- Water quench.
- Temper
- Tempering is not required. The result is HRC 43-45.
CPM 1V
Shop CPM 1V · from $49.20- Preheat
- Heat to 1,550-1,600°F. Equalize temperature.
- Austenitize
- HRC 59: 1,950°F, for 30 minutes. This lower austenitizing provides the maximum impact toughness. HRC 60: 2,000°F, for 10 minutes.
- Quench
- Plate, air or medium oil quench and cool to below 125°F.
- Temper
- Three times at 1,000-1,025°F for 2 hours minimum each time.
CPM 3V
Not in stock right now- Preheat
- Heat to 1,500-1,550°F. Equalize temperature.
- Austenitize
- 1,875-2,050°F, hold time at temperature 20-45 minutes.
- Quench
- Plate, air or medium oil quench and cool to below 125°F.
- Temper
- Three times at 1,000-1,050°F for 2 hours minimum each time.
- Cryogenic Treating
- May improve long term dimensional stability by transforming retained austenite. Any cryogenic treatment must be followed by a temper.
CPM 4V
Shop CPM 4V · from $24.50- Preheat
- Heat to 1,500-1,550°F. Equalize temperature.
- Austenitize
- Following preheat, heat material rapidly. a) For maximum wear resistance austenitize at 2,100°F, soak 15 minutes, and quench. b) For the best combination of toughness and wear resistance, austenitize at 1,875-1,950°F, soak 30 minutes, and quench. c) For maximum toughness austenitize at 1,800°F, soak 30 minutes, and quench.
- Quench
- Plate, air or positive pressure quench (4 bar minimum), or medium oil quench to about 900°F, then air cool to below 125°F.
- Temper
- Immediately after quenching, temper three times (two times minimum). Do not temper below 1,000°F.
- Cryogenic Treating
- May improve long term dimensional stability by transforming retained austenite. Any cryogenic treatment must be followed by a temper.
CPM 20CV
Shop CPM 20CV · from $37.30- Preheat
- Heat to 1,400-1,450°F and equalize.
- Austenitize
- Heat rapidly to 2,050°-2,150°F. Soak for 30 minutes. Lower austenitizing temperatures maximize impact toughness. Higher austenitizing temperatures maximize edge holding.
- Quench
- Plate or air quench to 125°F.
- Cryogenic Treating
- Cryo is recommended for austenitizing temperatures at or above 2,100°F. Cool to -100 °F, removed from cryo and allow blade to warm to room temperature in cool air.
- Temper
- Temper immediately after cryo or quench if cryo is not performed. Temper for 2 hours.
M4
Shop M4 · from $19.00- Preheat
- Heat to 1,500-1,550°F. Equalize temperature. Second pre-heat stage at 1,850-1,900°F suggested for vacuum or atmosphere hardening.
- Austenitize
- 1,875-2,200°F. Hold time at temperature: 1,875°F - 45 minutes 1975°F - 30 minutes 2,050°F - 20 minutes 2,100°F - 15 minutes 2,150°F - 10 minutes 2,200°F - 5 minutes For cutting tools use 2,150-2,200°F. For cold work applications use 1,875-2,125°F. Quench in air or positive pressure quench to below 125°F, or salt or interrupted oil quench to about 1,000°F, then air cool to below 125°F. A fast quench rate from hardening temperature to below 1,100°F is critical to achieve optimum heat treat response. A slower cooling rate below 1,000°F may be used to minimize distortion.
- Temper
- Double temper at 1,000°F minimum. Triple temper recommended when hardening from 2,100°F or higher. 2 hours minimum each temper. Air cool to room temperature between tempers.
- Cryogenic Treating
- After the first temper may improve long term dimensional stability by transforming retained austenite. Any cryogenic treatment must be followed by a temper.
CPM MagnaCut
Shop CPM MagnaCut · from $18.00- Preheat
- Heat to 1,550-1,600°F. Equalize temperature.
- Austenitize
- Heat to 1,950-2,200°F, soak times for the different austenitizing temperatures are listed below: 1,950°F = 30 Minutes 2,000°F = 25 Minutes 2,050°F = 20 Minutes 2,100°F = 15 Minutes 2,150°F = 10 Minutes 2,200°F = 5 Minutes The recommended heat treatment is to austenitize at 2,050°F then quench to below 125°F. Cryo if desired. Temper twice at 350°F for 2 hours minimum each temper. Cool to hand warm between tempers.
- Quench
- Plate, air or positive pressure quench (2 bar minimum) to below 125°F, or interrupted oil quench to about 1,000°F, then air cool to below 125°F.
- Temper
- Double temper at 300-1,000°F. Hold for 2 hours minimum each time. Note, tempering above 750°F decreases corrosion resistance. There are two graphs showing with and without cryo. Use the graphs to select your temperatures: With Cryo: Without Cryo: Coming Soon...
CPM S110V
Shop CPM S110V · from $53.50- Austenitize
- Heat to 2,150°F and soak for 20 Minutes.
- Quench
- Plate, air or positive pressure quench (2 bar minimum) to below 125°F, or interrupted oil quench to about 1,000°F. Cool to below 125°F before tempering.
- Temper
- Triple temper at 500-1,000°F. Hold for 2 hours minimum each time. Cool to room temperature between tempers.
CPM S125V
Shop CPM S125V · from $80.10- Austenitize
- Heat to 2,150°F and soak for 20 Minutes.
- Quench
- Plate, air or positive pressure quench (2 bar minimum) to below 125°F, or interrupted oil quench to about 1,000°F. Cool to below 125°F before tempering.
- Temper
- Double temper at 500-750°F. Hold for 2 hours minimum each time. Cool to room temperature between tempers.
S30V
Not in stock right now- Preheat
- Heat to 1,550-1,600°F. Equalize temperature.
- Austenitize
- Heat to 1,900-2,000°F, soak times for the different austenitizing temperatures are listed below: 1,900°F = 45 Minutes 1,950°F = 30 Minutes 2,000°F = 20 Minutes The recommended heat treatment is to austenitize at 1,950°F then quench to below 125°F. Cryo if desired. Temper twice at 600°F for 2 hours minimum each temper. Cool to hand warm between tempers.
- Quench
- Plate or air quench to below 125°F, or interrupted oil quench to about 1,000°F, then air cool to below 125°F.
- Temper
- Double temper at 400-1,000°F. Hold for 2 hours minimum each time. Note, tempering at 1,000-1,025°F decreases corrosion resistance.
S35VN
Not in stock right now- Preheat
- Heat to 1,550-1,600°F. Equalize temperature.
- Austenitize
- Heat to 1,900-2,000°F, soak times for the different austenitizing temperatures are listed below: 1,900°F = 30 Minutes 1,950°F = 30 Minutes 2,000°F = 15 Minutes The recommended heat treatment is to austenitize at 1,950°F then quench to below 125°F. Cryo if desired. Temper twice at 600°F for 2 hours minimum each temper. Cool to hand warm between tempers.
- Quench
- Plate, air or positive pressure quench (2 bar minimum) to below 125°F, or medium oil quench to about 1,000°F, then air cool to below 125°F.
- Temper
- Double temper at 400-1,000°F. Hold for 2 hours minimum each time.
CPM S45VN
Shop CPM S45VN · from $22.10- Preheat
- Heat to 1,550-1,600°F. Equalize temperature.
- Austenitize
- Heat to 1,900-2,000°F, soak times for the different austenitizing temperatures are listed below: 1,900°F = 30 Minutes 1,950°F = 30 Minutes 2,000°F = 15 Minutes The recommended heat treatment is to austenitize at 1,950°F then quench to below 125°F. Cryo if desired. Temper twice at 600°F for 2 hours minimum each temper. Cool to hand warm between tempers.
- Quench
- Plate, air or positive pressure quench (2 bar minimum) to below 125°F, or interrupted oil quench to about 1,000°F, then air cool to below 125°F.
- Temper
- Double temper at 400-1,000°F. Hold for 2 hours minimum each time.
CPM S60V
Shop CPM S60V · from $24.10- Preheat
- Heat to 1,550-1,600°F. Equalize temperature.
- Austenitize
- Heat to 1,950-2,050°F, soak times for the different austenitizing temperatures are listed below: 1,950°F = 30 Minutes 2,050°F = 20 Minutes The recommended heat treatment is to austenitize at 2,050°F then quench to below 125°F. Cryo if desired. Temper twice at 500°F for 2 hours minimum each temper. Cool to hand warm between tempers.
- Quench
- Plate, air or positive pressure quench (2 bar minimum) to below 125°F, or interrupted oil quench to about 1,000°F, then air cool to below 125°F.
- Temper
- Double temper at 400-700°F. Hold for 2 hours minimum each time. Additional Information: Referring back to Larrin's previously mentioned S60V article, the following is a quote where Larrin discusses testing higher austenitizing temperatures: To see the steel’s potential for high hardness I also tried heat treatments with 2100°F for 15 minutes and 2,150°F for 10 minutes, each followed by a plate quench, cryo, and temper at 300°F. The 2,100°F heat treatment led to 64.3 Rc and 2,150°F resulted in 65.0 Rc. Therefore very high hardness levels are possible for those knifemakers that are interested. Based on the results of Larrin's testing, more testing should be done.
S90V
Not in stock right now- Austenitize
- Heat to 2,000-2,150°F and soak for 20 minutes.
- Quench
- Plate, air or positive pressure quench (2 bar minimum) to below 125°F, or interrupted oil quench to about 1,000°F. Cool to below 125°F before tempering.
- Temper
- Double temper at 300-500°F. Hold for 2 hours minimum each time.
154CM • CPM 154 • CPM 154F
Not in stock right now- Preheat
- Heat to 1,400 and equalize temperature.
- Austenitize
- Increase temperature to 1,900-2,000°F and hold for 30-60 minutes.
- Quench
- Plate, air or positive pressure quench.
- Temper
- Two times at 400-1,200°F for 2 hours minimum each time. Cool to room temperature between tempers. Note: Tempering at 800-1,100°F results in a minor reduction in both corrosion resistance and toughness.
- Cryogenic Treating
- A cryo treatment is recommended after quench. Cryogenic treatment must be followed by a temper.
CruForgeV
Not in stock right now- Austenitize
- Heat to 1,500-1,550°F. Equalize temperature.
- Quench
- Medium oil quench.
- Temper
- Double temper at 400-500°F recommended. Approximate hardness after double tempering is shown below.
D2
Shop D2 · from $6.90- Preheat
- Heat to 1,100-1,200°F. Equalize temperature. Ramp up to 1,400-1,450°F. Equalize temperature.
- Austenitize
- 1,825-1,875°F, hold time at temperature 30-45 minutes.
- Quench
- Plate, air or positive pressure quench to below 125°F.
- Temper
- Two times at 400-1,000°F for 2 hours minimum each time. Cool to room temperature between tempers.
- Cryogenic Treating
- After the first temper may improve long term dimensional stability by transforming retained austenite. Any cryogenic treatment must be followed by a temper.
K390
Shop K390 · from $32.10- Preheat
- 1,500-1,550°F, equalize.
- Austenitize
- Heat rapidly from preheat. For optimum wear resistance, soak for 5 to 15 minutes 2,150°F. For balance of wear resistance and toughness, soak for 15 to 30 minute 2,050°F. For maximum toughness and minimum distortion in cooling, soak for 30 to 60 minutes 1,975°F.
- Quench
- Plate, air or medium oil quench to 125°F.
- Temper
- Temper immediately after quenching. Typical temperature range is 1,000-1100°F. Do not temper below 1,000°F. Hold at temperature for two hours then air cool to ambient temperature. Double tempering is required. Triple tempering is required when austenitized at 2,100°F or higher.
L6
Shop L6 · from $13.70- Austenitize
- 1,500-1,550°F, soak for 15 minutes.
- Quench
- Use medium speed quench oil.
- Temper
- Two times at 300-450°F for 2 hours minimum each time. Cool to room temperature between tempers.
M2
Shop M2 · from $10.00- Preheat
- Heat to 840-930°F. Equalize temperature. Second pre-heat stage at 1,560-1,650°F. Equalize temperature.
- Austenitize
- 1,875-2,200°F. Soak time at temperature: 1,875°F - 45 minutes 1,975°F - 30 minutes 2,050°F - 20 minutes 2,100°F - 15 minutes 2,150°F - 10 minutes 2,200°F - 5 minutes For cutting tools use 2,150-2,200°F. For cold work applications use 1,875-2,125°F. Quench in air or positive pressure quench to below 125°F, or salt or interrupted oil quench to about 1,000°F, then air cool to below 125°F. A fast quench rate from hardening temperature to below 1,100°F is critical to achieve optimum heat treat response. A slower cooling rate below 1,000°F may be used to minimize distortion.
- Temper
- Double temper at 1,000°F minimum. Triple temper recommended when hardening from 2,100°F or higher. 2 hours minimum each temper. Air cool to room temperature between tempers. Use the chart below to select the tempering temperature.
- Cryogenic Treating
- After the first temper may improve long term dimensional stability by transforming retained austenite. Any cryogenic treatment must be followed by a temper.
M390
Not in stock right now- Preheat
- Heat to 1,400-1,450°F. Equalize temperature.
- Austenitize
- Heat rapidly to 2,050-2,150°F. Soak for 30 minutes. Lower austenitizing temperatures maximize impact toughness. Higher austenitizing temperatures maximize edge holding.
- Quench
- Plate or air quench to 125°F.
- Temper
- Temper immediately after cryo or quench if cryo is not performed. Temper for 2 hours.
- Cryogenic Treating
- Cryo is recommended for austenitizing temperatures at or above 2,100°F. Cool to -100 °F, remove from cryo and allow blade to warm to room temperature in cool air.
Niomax
Not in stock right now- Austenitize
- Heat to 1,950-2,050°F. Soak time is 15 minutes for .125" or thinner material. Longer soak time may be necessary for thicker material.
- Quench
- Plate quench as quickly as possible.
- Cryogenic Treating
- To get the most from Niomax, you must cryo as soon as possible.
- Temper
- Temper immediately after cryo. Temper at least 2 times for two hours each time. Temper at 350°F for balanced properties, or use 300°F for maximum hardness and edge retention.
O1
Shop O1 · from $5.50- Preheat
- Heat to 1,250-1,350°F. Equalize temperature.
- Austenitize
- Heat to 1,450-1,500°F, soak times for the different austenitizing temperatures are listed below: 1,455°F = 30 Minutes 1,510°F = 20 Minutes
- Quench
- Medium oil quench
- Temper
- Double temper and hold for 2 hours minimum each time. Cool to room temperature between temper cycles. Open this in UX Builder to add and edit content
Vanadis 4 Extra
Not in stock right now- Preheat
- Heat to 1,110-1,290°F. Equalize temperature.
- Austenitize
- Heat to 1,795–2,100°F. The soak times are listed below: 1,870°F = 30 min 1,940°F = 30 min 2,010°F = 15 min 2,100°F = 15 min
- Quench
- Plate, air or positive pressure or oil quench. Cool to 125°F.
- Cryogenic Treating
- Immediately after quenching the blade can be sub-zero treated soaking for 3–4 hours, followed by tempering.
- Temper
- After quenching, temper twice for a minimum of two hours each. Cool to room temperature between cycles. Tempering below 980°F will reduce toughness.
Z-FiNit
Shop Z-FiNit · from $16.30- Note
- Nitrogen stainless steel alloys are susceptible to denitrization. They must be protected during heat treatment or the nitrogen will be burned off similar to carbon and decarburization. I spoke to a metallurgist about denitrization. She recommended the following options: - A foil bag inside a vacuum furnace. - A heat treat furnace filled with nitrogen during heat treating. - A sealed foil bag inside another sealed foil bag during austenitizing.
- Preheat
- Put in a preheated furnace at 1,110-1,200°F. Equalize temperature. Increase to 1,550-1,650°F. Equalize temperature.
- Austenitize
- Heat to 1,800-1,900°F and soak for a maximum of for 40 minutes.
- Quench
- Plate, air or medium oil quench. Cool to 100°F before tempering.
- Cryo
- It is recommended to perform subzero or cryo to -185°F for 30 minutes before tempering.
- Temper
- Temper immediately after quenching. Two temper cycles for two hours each.
Z-Max PM
Not in stock right now- Preheat
- Heat to 1,250-1,300°F. Equalize temperature. Ramp up to 1,550-1,600°F. Equalize temperature. Increase to 1,850-1,900°F. Equalize temperature.
- Austenitize
- After preheating, increase temperature to desired austenitizing temperature. Here are the temperatures and soak times: 2,050°F - 20 minutes 2,100°F - 15 minutes 2,150°F - 12 minutes 2,175°F - 10 minutes 2,190°F - 5 minutes
- Quench
- Plate, medium oil or high pressure gas (minimum 5 bar preferred).
- Temper
- Temper immediately after quenching. Triple tempering is essential and a fourth temper is recommended when using a higher hardness. Do not use tempering temperatures less 1,000°F. Cool to room temperature between each temper. More heat treating information is available on the datasheet.
Z-Tuff PM
Not in stock right now- Preheat
- It is important to preheat Z-Tuff to prepare for austenitizing. Heat until temperature is equalized: 1st preheat - 1,200-1,250°F 2nd preheat - 1,500-1,550°F
- Austenitize
- Heat to 1,900° and hold for 30 minutes.
- Quench
- Plate, air or medium oil quench.
- Temper
- Tempering twice for two hours each time is mandatory. A third two hour tempering cycle is preferred. Avoid tempering below 1,000°F. Cool the blade(s) to room temperature before starting the next temper cycle. Use the chart below to select the tempering temperature. Please Note: There is a narrow range of tempering temperatures. Make sure your oven is calibrated so you know can get the hardness you want.
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