PSA: Don't quench 5160 in straight water, I learned that on a Saturday and lost a blade

Charlie Roberts · 2026-10-06T16:25:04.410243+00:00

Last Saturday I had a 5160 hunter almost done and had to pick between my old bucket of warm canola oil or a fresh bucket of water. I went with the water because I thought it would get me a harder edge, and the blade cracked clean in half before it even hit the bottom. I stood there in my shop in Boise staring at two pieces of a knife I'd spent 6 hours on. The oil would have been fine, slower quench but way less shock. If you've got a warped or cracked quench story, what steel was it and what did you switch to after?

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PSA: Don't quench 5160 in straight water, I learned that on a Saturday and lost a blade | Blacksmiths - Chatter Central