04-11-2018, 03:26 PM
I should probably avoid this thread, but I do have some experience with cryo treating steel. It wasn't with gun parts though. It was with my handmade knives. Here is was I noticed.
In the end I quit doing it. An increase in hardness doesn't necessarily equate to better edge holding. Again, this isn't gun parts but it did convince me that a proper and accurate heat treatment was more important than a fancy one. Even a good type of treatment/process can be done improperly. Here are a few of the knives that I made after I stopped having them cryo treated.
![[Image: DSCN0072.JPG]](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k5xTVZQHIl8/Tx95Grc3NgI/AAAAAAAAAaA/t5j5wLK8ZRU/s1600/DSCN0072.JPG)
![[Image: IMG_7511-1.JPG]](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4tG4JyEeRuA/T4D9NvJb0tI/AAAAAAAAAa4/WbYEpybkIkc/s1600/IMG_7511-1.JPG)
![[Image: IMG_7572.JPG]](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G2puYzfclGg/T9nJVkCLAkI/AAAAAAAAAdo/4pvYjJm_dHk/s1600/IMG_7572.JPG)
- It cost more.
- It made them noticeably harder to sharpen
- I didn't notice any practicle difference in edge holding
- It actually increased my warpage rate
- I had a few that came back with some really hard spots.
In the end I quit doing it. An increase in hardness doesn't necessarily equate to better edge holding. Again, this isn't gun parts but it did convince me that a proper and accurate heat treatment was more important than a fancy one. Even a good type of treatment/process can be done improperly. Here are a few of the knives that I made after I stopped having them cryo treated.
Engineer, FFL and Pastor