PSA: That demo at the Ohio forge-in about quenching in brine was a total game changer for me.

I was at the big Ohio forge-in last fall, and this old guy from West Virginia showed us how he quenches his high carbon blades in a bucket of warm salt water instead of oil. I tried it on a simple knife I was making, and the edge came out way harder than usual, with less warping. Has anyone else switched to brine for certain projects, and what mix do you use?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_felix2mo ago

Oh man, that demo was wild. I started using a warm water and salt mix for my smaller tools after that, like 2 cups salt to a gallon of water. The hardness is just different, in a good way.

casey_barnes3mo ago

My buddy tried that and warped a blade real bad.

betty_reed613mo ago

Yep, my cousin did the same thing (totally ruined a good chisel, it was a shame).