Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades Heat treat S30V or S35V

For you guys that are using these, is there anything particularly special about the process involved to heat treat them? Just curious why Texas Knifemaker's charges $5/blade to heat treat D2 and others and wants to charge $20/blade for S30V.

Playing with making a few blades and just ordered some S35v to try out and realized TKM was gonna rob me to treat anything in S30v or S35v. Guess I'll have to get someone else to treat blades if I make 'em outa the S35v.

IIRC,S30V/S60V, ect... require temps above what most heat treat ovens are capable of, and those temps must be controlled precisely. the exteremly high temps are hard on the ovens, and not many guys can do these steels with reliable, repeatable results.

Beats me.
Here is the data that I got straight from the Crubicle web site. This is what I've just done to my first S35VN blade and everything is fine so far..


Hardening
Preheat: Heat to 1550-1600�F (845-870�C) Equalize.
Austenitize: 1900-2000�F (1035-1095�C), hold time at temperature
15-30 minutes.
Quench: Air or positive pressure quench (2 bar minimum) to
below 125�F (50�C), or salt or interrupted oil quench to about
1000�F (540�C), then air cool to below 125�F (50�C).
Temper: Double temper at 400-750�F (200-400�C). Hold for
2 hours minimum each time. (See Table) A freezing treatment
may be used between the first and second tempers. Freezing
treatments help to attain maximum hardenability and must
always be followed by at least one temper.
NOTE: For optimum stress relieving, CPM S35VN may be tempered
at 1000-1025�F (540-550�C). Tempering in this range may
result in a slight decrease in corrosion resistance.

DT

I would think that it is because of the higher heat treating and tempering temperatures.

It's really not much different than ATS-34, RWL-34, CPM 154 or a host of others. I took mine to 1975f and held it for 30 minutes then plate quenched. Hardness as treated was HRC 64. After two tempers at 475f for two hours each it tested HRC 60. Couldn't ask for much more in my humble opinion.

Droptine,

If I ever get a blade or two cut outa the S35v I might have to send 'em your way for heat treat. Didn't really think there was anything dramatic to it.

Droptine, do you use a foil wrap, or do you have a controled atmosphere furnace?

Also, do you cyro quench?

Also, where did you get the RWL 34? Isn't that about like CPM 154 CM, except with Vanadium added?

Not as far as I can see. Did it just like I'd do cpm 154. Apples and apples as far as I can tell.

Yes I foil wrap all of my air quenched blades, it's just the Damascus and O1 that I heat just as they are.

Don't cryo unless a customer specifically ask for it. I have to send that out as I'm not set up to do it in the shop.

I bought what I have at a knife show but I have ordered it in the past. There is just one supplier for it in the US. I'm not a chemist and don't really keep track of the metal specs but to me it grinds a little easier the 154 and it definitely takes a better polish if that is the way you want to finish a blade. It holds an edge as well and any other steel that I have used. Only downside to it is the price.

Here is a link to the distributor.

Damasteel USA

Same charge for 5 blades as 1?

yeah, they offer a slight discount on more than 7 blades in the others, but not S30v. $20/blade for one or ten or as many as you wanna send

Check with Brad at Peter's Heat Treat. Brad typically has great prices and excellent customer service.

www.PETERSHEATTREAT.COM
bstallpetersheattreat.com

I just had my first experience with Brad and I couldn't be happier.

Thanks will definitely check them out.

Brad just did the HT on a group of 40 blades for a group of us that are doing a collaborative build of blades to send to deployed servicemembers. He graciously donated his time and services for this build of ours so I would like to be sure everyone knows of his services and his great generosity. He does top notch work and has great customer service. He is deffinitely "ACES" in my book.

In checking out the website, I see that S30 is listed as a steel they work with. I'm sure they can probably handle the S35 as well.

Thanks Murph. I haven't even gotten the S35 yet, but once I grind a blade or two, I will definitely be giving Brad a call.

You might also want to check with Paul Bos. He has retired, but I understand someone else that Paul trained has taken over the business.

He heat treats different types of air hardening steel.

Bos: http://www.buckknives.com/index.cfm?event=bio.paulBos#

A few years ago, I met Chuck Buck at an outdoors show, and I asked him about Paul.

Mr. Buck said that Paul heat treated all of the Buck custom blades, although the regular blades were heat treated in the Buck facility.

If Buck uses Paul's heat treating for their custom and speciality blades, that should tell you something about Paul's work.

Paul's does great heat treating but they are not the end all be all out there.