Never used linseed but, I have used canola and peanut oil. Both have worked for me. I heat them up to about 120° before quenching. Canola is about $30 for 5 gallons in my area.

I'm with George just Canola and Peanut that I've used........

Thanks for your suggestions.

Do you get peanut and canola oil new? Or do you get it from a restaurant that used it in a deep frier?

The latter seems like it would be cheaper. Would it work as well?

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I was wondering if anyone has ever used linseed oil to harden knives. For a couple years now, I have been using it to harden my knives and axes made of car coil springs and farrier's rasps. I have had certain amount of success, but I have never tried anything else, so I don't know how it would compare. Any suggestions/other possible (inexpensive) quenching oils I should try?

Take what I say with a grain of salt, because I've heard a lot of bad things from other people.

1. When I oil quench I've been using simple vegetable oil heated up to 120-130 area. Just about too hot to touch. I keep it in an old stainless tub from a small home ice cream maker, next to the forge, and just stab the blade in right out from the fire.
2. I've also had an instructor who uses used motor oil, and that did a fair enough job with a couple of axes we made from ball peen hammers. Smelled like unholy hell, though, and made an awful mess that needed cleaned.
3. Another medium I remember reading about years ago was in a book called Complete Bladesmith by Jim Hsroulas(spelling, anyone?). At the beginning, he talks about making a small starting anvil from a railroad track. It was quenched in salt water.
    

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Take what I say with a grain of salt, because I've heard a lot of bad things from other people.

1. When I oil quench I've been using simple vegetable oil heated up to 120-130 area. Just about too hot to touch. I keep it in an old stainless tub from a small home ice cream maker, next to the forge, and just stab the blade in right out from the fire.
2. I've also had an instructor who uses used motor oil, and that did a fair enough job with a couple of axes we made from ball peen hammers. Smelled like unholy hell, though, and made an awful mess that needed cleaned.
3. Another medium I remember reading about years ago was in a book called Complete Bladesmith by Jim Hsroulas(spelling, anyone?). At the beginning, he talks about making a small starting anvil from a railroad track. It was quenched in salt water.

   Thanks for the advice.

   According to Jim Hrisoulas, brine is to be used for quenching water hardening steels, and is too fast for oil quench steels.

   I have tried motor oil, particularly on some of my earliest knives, but I don't really remember what kind of results I got. You're right about the smell though!

    

You might want to go over and check out the September 2013 Topic of the Month thread. Lots of good info and quenching information. Types of oils to use and where to get it.

Bob

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You're right about the smell though!

It will haunt me till the end of my days.