Ed,

If you are happy with the performance of the knife I would leave it as is and experiment on the next one to replace it.

That said, good file steel is 1095. As long as you didn't turn the blade colors when you ground it, there is no need to re-harden it as it is plenty hard. I would temper it in an oven at 450 deg for two hours, this will actually drop the hardness slightly but make it easier to sharpen and less brittle. Then I would put the blade point down in a container of water up to the middle of the ricasso and use a torch to heat the tang and end of the ricasso to a dark blue, especially in the area of the weld. Do not let the heat turn the edge or front of the ricasso blue. That is the most I would do. You could soft draw the spine of the blade like I described for the tang also but for a skinning knife I don't see a need.

For heattreating search the heattreating forums for the type steel you are using.

Steve

Ed,

I'm with Steve on this one <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//wink.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' /> If that knife holds an edge and performs well, all I would do is temper it and draw down the tang and spine.

Ed C.

Welcome to the wonderful and addictive world of knife making!

Keeping it simple for the ignorant, but not stupid person is difficult because the heat treating (HT) process is the most important part of the process (IMNSHO)and the HT process is different for different steels and different depending on what end hardness you are trying to achieve. That being said, the HT process is two fold:

1. Hardening. This is bringing the steel up to what is called critical heat and quickly cooling it in liquid. Some steels are better hardened in water or brine, others in oils.

2. Tempering. This is heating the hardened steel up to some temperature to "draw back" the hardness making the steel less brittle. What temperature you temper at, and for how many hours depends on the steel, the thickness of the workpiece, and the desired hardness.

You can browse through the forums here on heat treating, or you can go to the great Google and ask "how do I heat treat (insert the type of steel here)" You will undoubtedly get several results some of which will be from metallurgical sites that have very good data on HT processes for the type of steel you are using.

As for that knife you have made from an old bastard file, I don't think it will break if you dropped it on a rock. I have dropped my bastard files on the concrete floor of my shop and they weren't harmed. Your file was heat treated when it was made and your grinding probably softened it if it affected it at all. Leave that knife alone and move on to the next one.

Go to: www.ABANA.org to find the local chapter of blacksmiths in your area. Go to one of their meets and see if there are any knife makers nearby you that you can get to know. A good mentor is worth a thousand books.