Portland Barrel Company

Thanks fellows! I think I will stick with the 300 stuff I've got for my cheese knife type items and accept the hardness as is, though I will look into polishing, acid bath, etc. I did find some 440 spec's on working with 440c and this seems workable for some finer edged tools, though, it seems less "forge-able" I'll just have to see how it works. I will check out that book, too, I've seen it come up in a few of the forum topics. Any pictures of the 440 camp knife?

Thanks, all good advise. I have experimented a bit with different attempts at hardening the 300 stock I have, and observed the what would be hardening quench, anneals the stainless, as well as the cold work hardening that can happen. I think that for my project the 300 probably is fine, though I will work on the passivity/electro polish idea. I would like to try some 400 for better knife edges as well - I do have access to kilns that are pretty superb (one plus to dating a potter) so I do have the ability to accurately take pieces up to high temps and hold them for hours. Also one of you mentioned some stainless that hardens like "non-stainless" - standard hardening & temper? I'd like to know more about this material as well. Sorry for all the questions, just in a developmental state, soaking up as much as I can as I try to develop some products. Every knife in my kitchen drawer is stainless. Are there suitable high carbon steels that can be forged that belong in the "average"(read incredibly lazy & unwilling to care for quality crafted wares) kitchen?

so I've attached a photo of my project knives thus far. I am calling them cheese knives, don't like the idea of a super sharp knife at my craft show booth or as x-mas gifts...first thing that happened to me at a x-mas sale I did was that a child picked up a knife I had and cut his hand - his mother wasn't happy. I'm not so fixated on a very hard edge, though I'd like to understand the process, and see what's attainable for me at my shop, but, treating the stainless so that it is as corrosion resistant as possible is also important. I don't want to have to continue to put disclaimers on my stuff that you can't leave it in the sink, etc. If the lesser grade (300) is better for corrosion, then maybe this is my material. I still believe I have to go through the aging process for the material. But, if I can accomplish aging for a 400 type stainless for a hardened edge this too would be desirable, as I am making more than one type of knife.

For my first trial I used 300 stainless bar stock,( its actually stamped "304") which seems like not the best stock for hardening - I have read some spec's on 400 that make it a better candidate for my project. Again, any advise here would be great.

I have been working on some stainless knives & kitchen items and want to understand the hardening process for stainless better - I have read some specifications for this process, but, wondered if anyone had any experience. I am forging the material, after an annealing fire. From what I've read, I have to "solution treat (which I interpret as annealing) the pieces after I've worked them, before they can be hardened, then heating the pieces to 850-900 degrees F and holding from 1 to 4 hours, then air cooled (have access to a small kiln for this). I've read some of the related topics that recommend not working in stainless for knives, but, these pieces will left in kitchen sinks or proximity to water, so stainless element is important. I understand that the hardness achievable isn't what can be achieved in high carbon steel, but, for the application the stainless hardening treatment should be fine. Also, my understanding is that the precipitation hardening after work, restores some of the corrosion resistance. So the treatment seems critical to finishing the pieces. Thoughts?

Thanks for al the insight on herbs in quench, and your wives, spinsters, etc. My perception is that the herbs are more ritual it practice, just wasn't sure if there was something to be gained by the carbon, sugar,etc. I have found this article: "The History of Quenching" by D. Scott Mackenzie, which is pretty in depth as to process and recipes. This is an Ottoman period concoction: "Mustafa Aga gives a special formula in his book, “The Book of Arrow” [21], for making armor-piercing arrowheads and sword blades. His quenching medium consists of: 1 okka Quick Lime (CaO) ½ okka Soda (NaCO) ½ okka Carbonas Cupricus (Copper Oxide?) ½ okka Arsenic Sulphate (AsS) 2 okka Radish juice 1 okka Wild Onion juice ½ okka Valonia ash 1 okka Tar (Okka is a weight unit and corresponds to 1283 grams.)" I did steel a bundle of rosemary from my wife's garden and throw it in my quench barrel recently when I was having to rapidly cool some pieces I was working on, the aroma was actually quite pungent and good. Got a friend with a huge hops vine, I think I'll try some of the buds from that when they're ready. Just got thirsty...

I am curious about the use, historically, of herbs in the slack tub. I have found a few scant references to this practice and am wondering if there is any real merit to this, or whether herbs could impart some benefit to the metal being cooled, hardened, etc. As a tangent to this, I have been battling mosquitoes in my quench bath, and have been reading discussions as to possible solutions for this - dish soap, oil, etc., and am wondering if there could be a related purpose for herbs in the bath...