02-26-2018, 11:21 AM
That depends on the steel and the temperature of tempering. Steels with enough Mo and/or W, such as high speed steels, have secondary hardening. Stainless steels have it too from Cr. Complex steels can be as hard or harder after tempering than they were freshly quenched. 1095 can even have secondary hardening, but it is slight, and happens at relatively low temperatures, lower than most people use, so is rarely noticed. Below 350 F.
Mark brings up a point that led me away from the super steels. They take more time for the same edge. 154CM, and similar are about as complex as I like. The S110V blade was an experiment. I doubt I'll get another. In my use and testing, it doesn't hold an edge longer than my CTS BD1 folder, which sharpens faster and to a higher degree for the same procedure.
Mark brings up a point that led me away from the super steels. They take more time for the same edge. 154CM, and similar are about as complex as I like. The S110V blade was an experiment. I doubt I'll get another. In my use and testing, it doesn't hold an edge longer than my CTS BD1 folder, which sharpens faster and to a higher degree for the same procedure.