Almost ruined a $400 commission because I kept quenching in cold water

I was finishing up a set of steak knives for a repeat customer when the edge just... crumbled on the last one. Took me an hour of staring at it to realize I'd been quenching everything in the same bucket of tap water for years and it was full of micro-cracks waiting to happen. Has anyone else had a workshop habit that turned out to be quietly sabotaging your work?

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1 Comment

jones.blake1mo ago

Wait, are you saying the tap water itself caused micro-cracks? I always thought the issue was more about quenching in water that's too cold, not the water being old or used a bunch. The problem with cold water is that it cools the steel way too fast, which creates stress and those little cracks you're talking about. I've had way better luck using a warmer oil like canola or parks 50, it gives the steel a gentler cool down and less risk of cracking even on thinner blades like steak knives.