TIL the old way of quenching in warm oil actually works better for some steels

Been fighting with 1095 blades cracking on me for years, tried quenching in warm canola oil at 130 degrees like an old timer told me at a meetup in Columbus last spring, and I havent had a single crack in 8 knives since. Has anyone else had luck with heating up their quench oil or am I just getting lucky with my steel batch?

2 comments

2 Comments

perry.jessica6d ago

I started preheating my oil after my shop almost caught fire with cold oil.

the_miles5d ago

Seriously, that cold oil trick is such a hidden danger! I had a similar scare in my garage kitchen, a bit of water got in and the flare up was insane, never again. Preheating all the way now feels way safer.