Switched from gas forge to electric for small blades and the difference is night and day

I used to do all my heat treating in a gas forge but after a year of fighting with uneven temps I finally tried a Paragon electric kiln last month. The temperature control is so much tighter, I nailed the hardness on my first try with a 1095 blade. Has anyone else here made that switch or am I just late to the party?

2 comments

2 Comments

mila39514d ago

Bought a used Evenheat off Craigslist a few years back and it was a total game changer for me. I was fighting with hot spots and decarb in the gas forge for way too long, especially on thin stock. The electric oven just makes repeatability so much easier, you can dial in the soak times and know exactly what you're getting. Your mileage may vary with different steels but for 1095 and O1, I haven't looked back once. Just make sure you have a good controller or you're still going to be guessing.

harris.aaron11d ago

@mila395 I hear you but I actually get better consistency with a tuned gas forge, way less hassle with power draw issues.