Is there a spring steel that is quenchable in water? I looking for a new steel that I can quench in water a get the qualities of a spring. I plan to make tongs with this steel and I often cool my tongs with water so that is why I want the steel to be water quenchable. I know that I could just make them out of mild steel but I don't want the smallest part at the tips to bend because I'm going to make them really thin.

It's complicated. But no. I don't think you need "spring steel" for tongs. And there are alloys that will not harden when they quench. However, you will probably feel woozy after looking at what prices you'll pay for such stock. Hadfield manganese is a work hardening alloy that would fit the bill. A little tough to forge but fairly forgiving. 304 stainless might be a better test. 

Water quenching steel means they get hard when you quench them from critical in water.  This makes them brittle and so unsuited for tongs.  What you want is a steel that is not water quenching. and so basically unhardening as water quench is towards the harshest quench end of the spectrum.

Wrougtiron; don't forget CP 1 or 2 Titanium for tongs!  I forged a set for my gasser as they don't transmit heat very well and can be quenched.

Better idea is to learn to work so the tongs never get to critical and so no problem in quenching them! Or if you must; have two or more sets and let them cool in air between uses.

1 hour ago, ThomasPowers said:

Water quenching steel means they get hard when you quench them from critical in water.  This makes them brittle and so unsuited for tongs.  What you want is a steel that is not water quenching. and so basically unhardening as water quench is towards the harshest quench end of the spectrum.

Wrougtiron; don't forget CP 1 or 2 Titanium for tongs!  I forged a set for my gasser as they don't transmit heat very well and can be quenched.

Better idea is to learn to work so the tongs never get to critical and so no problem in quenching them! Or if you must; have two or more sets and let them cool in air between uses.

I definitely wanted to mention Titanium but I was trying to keep it to a 4 lane hwy instead of a cloverleaf. I didn't forget CP 1 either. Mostly because I didn't know there was such an animal. Now, the friday research detour is underway. 

Hah, should have taken an open book test. It's commercially pure Ti.  

Yup there are some alloys of Ti that can make you sick forging them; the CP 1 & 2 are safe.

Of course several years after forging my own set I picked up a set of commercially made Ti tongs at Quad-State for US$10. I do not believe the vendor was aware of what they were made from and he had them is a pile of low grade tongs at $10 choice...

As Thomas said cool before they get to critical heat and you should be in good shape.