QuenchPlate quench / forced air or gas (datasheet) — temper as soon as hand-warm (120–160°F)
Cryo / sub-zeroOptional — commonly LN2 (-150 to -196°C) right after quench; datasheet: 1–3 h adds ~1–3 HRC
Temper2× 2 h · cool to room temp between cycles
Reliable hardness57–62 HRC
Uddeholm PM stainless — high wear + corrosion resistance. Datasheet: preheat 1110–1560°F, austenitize 1920–2010°F (normally 1980°F) / 30 min → 61 HRC before temper; temper 2× ≥2 h, datasheet prefers ≥480°F (350°F minimum in exceptional cases). Knife makers typically run 1980°F + cryo + 2× 350–400°F.
⚠︎ Temper↔HRC points assume cryo and are read from the Uddeholm tempering graph — verify with supplier datasheet.
Temper → hardness chart
Approximate HRC after a double-temper at each temperature (from the sources below). Set your target and pick the matching temper.
Temper °F
Temper °C
Hardness
350°F
177°C
61.5 HRC
400°F
204°C
60.5 HRC
480°F
249°C
59 HRC
Composition (typical, wt%)
Element
%
C
1.7%
Cr
18%
V
3%
Mo
1%
Mn
0.3%
Si
0.8%
Uddeholm Elmax datasheet
HeatTreatBench — the recipes in your shop, offline
Get the full Elmax recipe plus 25 more steels offline — set your target HRC and the app gives you the exact temper, with a forge timer and a per-blade log. Works in the shop with no signal.