Finally tried quenching in warm canola oil instead of water. Huge difference on my last batch of knives.

I've been making kitchen knives for about two years now, mostly 1084 steel. I always used water to quench because that's what I learned from some old forums. Last week I decided to try canola oil warmed to 130 degrees on a batch of 4 blades. The difference was crazy - no warping at all and the edge came out way harder after tempering. I had to file down the scale afterward and it took way less work. Has anyone else made the switch from water to oil and noticed a big difference in how straight your blades stay?

3 comments

3 Comments

juliashah10d ago

Friend of mine switched to canola oil for his hunting knives and he told me his blades came out so straight he actually thought he was losing his touch with the hammer. He had one knife warp so bad in water it looked like a banana and he just pitched it in the trash. After oil he said he had to recheck his whole setup because he couldn't believe the difference.

finleym4310d ago

Huh, did he try quenching in the oil or just using it during the forging process? Because I've heard of guys using used motor oil for quench tanks and getting weird results, but canola seems like it'd be more consistent. My old man used to swear by a mix of water and salt for his blades, but he always had to tweak the tempering afterward. If canola is giving folks that straight of an edge right out of the quench, it might save a whole lot of hammer time on the anvil.

sageadams10d ago

Wait, are you telling me juliashah's friend actually had a blade warp so bad it looked like a banana? That's wild, I've seen some warps in my time but never that bad. I used to think water was the only way to go for a hard edge, but hearing stories like that makes me want to give canola a shot for sure. It's nuts that it comes out straight enough to make you question your hammer work, that's a huge time saver right there. Might have to pick up a jug next time I'm at the store and see what all the fuss is about.