What's everyone's opinion on heat treating 416 stainless steel bolsters?
Heat treating 416 will increase it's "stainless factory", but like everything else we do in Bladesmithing...there's a "Give-N-Take". What is it? The pins. If you heat treat bolsters, but not the pin material, the pins will stick out like a sore thumb. On the other hand, if you heat treat the pins, it makes peening them, and blending them in very difficult. So in this case, it's a "Pick your poison" kinda thing. 😉
Ed Caffrey, ABS MS
"The Montana Bladesmith"
www.CaffreyKnives.net