In part 1 of this article, we discussed how to get started forging your own knife. We considered the tools that you would need, the selection of a knife design, the selection of the right steel and making a simple forge for use at home. Now that we’ve gotten this far, it’s time to get to work.

The subject of carbide formation in steels has intrigued The Doctor ever since he first peered into a microscope and observed them. Carbides can be our friend or our enemy.

Most, if not all, heat treaters – whether they like to admit it or not – enjoy the challenges that present themselves when confronted by a new material or the need to develop a new process recipe to achieve specified properties or results.