For the manner in which men live is so different from the way in which they ought to live, that he who leaves the common course for that which he ought to follow will find that it leads him to ruin rather than safety.
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Sunday, January 3, 2016

Warped Knife Blade

Tool steel isn't cheap. Each knife blank I've worked on costs me about $7. As mistakes add up, so does the expense. Luckily, I haven't been too horrible with my grinding. I think I have two blanks that can't be recovered. The others are either awaiting final grinding or are already finished.

One blade, however, decided to warp during heat treatment. As long as it isn't badly warped, it can be brought back into trim.

The patient. It is warped right near the center of its length.


Using two blocks of wood, I clamped the blade at the approximate center of the warp.

Then, using two small C clamps, I gently bent the blade and just let it sit. This process can be repeated until the blade is straight. The key is to be gentle. It's already hardened, so there is only so much give in the blade.

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