Where should I send my first blade for heat treatment??

LARRYZ10

LARRYZ10

Joined
Feb 6, 2010
Messages
1,427
Hi, I have have made over a a hundred knives from blades but I just hollow ground my first knife from CPM 154 and I want to have it heat treated. Where should I send it? I want a place that, I can send all my bladers from now on and not have to worry about quality of temper and heat treament. I live in California but it doesn't matter where the heat treat people are beacuse I will mail my blades. Who do you professional makers use and recommend? Thank you for any advice, Larry Lehman
 
Paul Bos or Peters' Heat Treating. Both firms provide excellent quality control, tempering, cryo treatment, etc. I use Peters' because they will handle both air-hardening steels like CPM-154 and oil-hardening ones like 1095 or O1.

Both companies charge a set fee up to a certain batch amount or poundage. My last batch of 2 dozen blades came out to about $8/blade, including shipping both ways.
 
I love Peters heat treating, but their price as I understand is a flat $75 for one blade, or 20lbs of blades. I ground on blades for a week and had just right over 8lbs. That was 30+ knives. They were all A-2 tool steel. However, the flat rate doesn't really apply if you mix and match steel with Peters, so I try to send off as much of one steel as possible.

I sent a couple of ATS-34 blades to Texas knifemakers supply, and they charge around 8 bucks a blade plus cryo treatment. I don't think they do carbon steels though. Your steel is very similar, if not the same as ATS-34.

So, my assessment is:

Multiple blades including carbon and tool steels - Peters
Multiple stainless - Bos, or Peters
One or two stainless/exotic stainless - Texas Knifemakers supply.
 
Last edited:
From Peters' website, my bold:

How much will it cost to have my knives heat treated?
The 1st (4) blades are $18/ea. The (4) blade cost of $72 covers up to 20# of blades. This includes a cryo treatment during processing. The blades must be of the same steel or steels that can be hardened & tempered together.
Steels that can be hardened together but need to be tempered separately are an additional $10. Return shipping & handling are extra. A handling charge of $7/ package is added for return shipping.
Click to expand...

You do not have to spend $72 if you only need a couple blades done. Obviously it pays to send in as many at a time as you can. TKS does HT'ing once a week IF you get your blades to them on their deadline at $5.50 per blade plus $4.00/blade for cryo; they do not offer Rc testing. "Our intent is to temper the blades to a Rockwell “C” hardness of 58 or 59" -TKS website, my bold.

Peters' runs full time, will nail whatever hardness you specify, and cryo and Rc testing of every blade is included in the base price. The testing alone saved my behind once, turns out I got some 416 mixed in with my CPM-154 and 440C batch. They caught it and I didn't have to waste time finishing a 46Rc blade :o
 
If you send to Peters be sure to chamfer all holes and get everything as flat as possible. Brad called me once about a hole that had been mushroomed out a little bit due to a dull countersink, making the tang not lay so flat (i'm assuming for his plate quenching process). He consulted me before he ground it out.

Brad's a heat treater, not a guy that's supposed to fix knives. I sure felt bad.
 
You're right about making sure the blades are ready, Josh. Once I forgot to drill a hanger-hole in a hidden tang and I felt bad too. On the other hand, Brad is the kind of guy that will check with you if there are any questions or concerns, making sure you get what you need. I appreciate knowing that he cares and pays attention to every detail. Some folks would have just sent it back un-HT'ed, he called and asked permission to drill a hole and make sure it wouldn't be in a bad spot. Come to think of it I probably owe him lunch ;)

FYI Brad Stallsmith is the guy who runs the blade division at Peters'. Such name-droppers we are :D
 
I want to thank you for taking the time to reply. I really needed some advice and you helped a bunch! Thanks again, Larry
 
Josh, thanks. You really gave some valuble information and I am grateful. Thanks, Larry Lehman
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top