Who is the Book for?
The book covers the major variables that control knife performance like edge geometry, steel selection, and heat treatment. This is described through different mechanisms that affect knives including: flexing and bending, chipping and fracture, corrosion, edge retention, grindability and polishability, etc. The different grades of knife steels are introduced including their composition, microstructure, toughness, edge retention, hardness, and corrosion resistance. The process of heat treating and processing steel is extensively covered including what happens in each step like austenitizing, quenching, tempering, cryo treatments, and more. That includes an explanation for the changes to microstructure, what the goals are for each step, and how to optimize the different heat treatment steps. And I provided specific heat treatment recommendations for most of the major knife steels. These are all things that knifemakers need to be concerned about for high performance knives. And knife enthusaists can learn what aspects knifemakers are controlling for, what to look for in their knives, and how to adjust their sharpening procedures in terms of edge angle and finish for different uses.
