How do I Fix a Warped 01 Blade?
I am a novice knifemaker. I have been using 01 tool steel and just recently received a blade (and a few other blades) back from the heat treater.
I wanted to make a carving knife for a friend and got way too thin with the stock (1/8") and edge thickness (1/32"). The Rockwell on it is 60. The blade itself is 12" long. I notice that if I flex the tip of the knife to straight, the whole rest of the knife falls into line and I have a fairly straight edge. Obviously, I wouldn't want to present a friend with anything less than the best I can do.
Does anyone have a fairly simple solution (other than re-heating)? I'm not even considering putting it in a vise and straightening the tip....I'm quite sure it will snap like a twig.
Would appreciate any suggestions from you seasoned pros. Thanks.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Steve Shackleford on -
Ed Fowler recently did a two-part story on blade warp in BLADE. Email him at eafwb@wyoming.com and i'm sure he'll have some ideas on how to help you.
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Permalink Reply by Karl B. Andersen on -
Sure, make sure to give it the first of two, two hour tempering cycles.
On the second cycle, clamp the knife to a bar of 1/4" steel stock.
Place a steel shim of some type under the tip/warped area that puts the warp to the same degree to the OTHER SIDE of center/straight.
Give it the second tempering cycle while adding about 20 minutes for the extra mass of steel to come up to temp.
Let the blade cool while still clamped.
You have now given the blade a new place to "be" with the resultant migration.
There are people who claim how thermal cycling and such either minimizes or eliminates warps. I
also know that those persons are only hardening cutting edges by localized austenization. When only hardening the cutting edge, it would be almost impossible to get a warp in the first place. Warping is more a result of inaccurate grinding or irregular heating and improper quenching.
When you've got a warp - you've got a warp. What you did or could have done earlier is now irrelevant.
What I just wrote is the way to fix it.
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Permalink Reply by Steve Shackleford on
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Thanks, Karl. It's always nice to have an accomplished American Bladesmith Society journeyman smith such as yourself to weigh in on the subject!
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Permalink Reply by Karl B. Andersen on
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Steve, I didn't learn that in the ABS. I learned that from Jerry Rados and I use it with regularity and have found it EXTREMELY!! helpful.
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Permalink Reply by Steve Shackleford on
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You learned from a legend. Jerry's Turkish damascus is second to none.
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