STEEL 


80CRV2 steel knife

Blade steel and how we treat it.


WHY

I often get asked the question 'why don't you use other steels?'. Basically when I started making knives I thought about what knife of the hundreds I've used in my lifetime had the best all around performance. I have never been interested in showcase knives so stainless wasn't a prerequisite for me, and I've always used tools and machines, repaired my vehicles, cleaned firearms and built things so caring for a tool with a little oil wasn't an issue for me. The first Ka-bar I used was bought for me by my father as a boot camp graduation gift and is the same that was issued by the Marine Corps for many many years, it was 1095 steel, was a work horse, took an extremely sharp edge, cut forever without needing a re-sharpen and was easy to re-sharpen with simple sharpeners when the time came. I wanted a blade that was indestructible that the common man could afford to carry and would stand up to and out preform knives costing 3 times as much. So I started with 1095 and set out to extract all that I could from the steel. After making blades for years with 1095 exclusively we tried 80CRV2, AEB-L and Nitro-V and were blown away! There aren't many steels that can take the razors edge that these steels can. It is also ductile enough to withstand serious beating without breaking. It simply excels when it counts.


HOW

Thanks to your support of our growing business I was able to invest  in precision heat treatment. But first I studied tirelessly about the exact metallurgical procedure of heat treatment. 

  First we use a method called 'salt bath' to heat to and hold for 10 minutes the exact temperature to ensure the steel is in full solution and hardens perfectly in the quench. Salt Bath heat treatment is the absolute best process for guaranteeing even heating and precise temperature control. 

  Next is our extra long temper process that includes a triple temper.  Multiple temper cycling is debated a lot. Most of the debate against it comes from companies that don't want to invest the time in doing it because it cost time and time is money.  I don't want just 'OK' blades I want exceptional blades.

  Lastly and because of our relentless pursuit to make the best blades on earth we recently added another 36 hours to our process. Through a revolutionary, and unique deep Cryogenic process, we create an orderly rearrangement of material grain crystals, increasing internal bonding energy and achieving a consistent structural balance throughout the entire blade, not just a surface coating or a temporary physical treatment. This process greatly increases strength, stability, and the wear life of our blades. This isn't your bathtub YouTube cryo, this is done by the leading cryogenics provider on earth and done in lab grade equipment that holds the blades at -330F for over 30 hours.

What you get from our blades because of this.

    • Substantial increase in wear resistance, toughness, edge retention and overall tool life

    • Transformation of retained austenite to hard and stable martensite

    • Formation of additional fine carbide particles within steel microstructure

    • Maintains hardness characteristics for resharpening

    • Has the ability to double blade use life and reduce stress-related failures

We spend 10 days on just the heat treatment of every blade to give you the best blades in the world.  All I can say is that my blades durability and edge retention sky-rocketed when I started triple tempering and added deep cryogenics. I have to  guarantee a consistent unequalled blade performance.  A proper heat treatment shows immediately  when you cut with our blades, you'll notice instantly how sharp they are and how long they keep the edge. Its not magic but it does take far longer to make a blade the right way. I simply will not put my name on a blade that isn't built to the best of my ability. T.Kell Knives are carried in Battle by our warriors, by first responders, LEOS, and many other professions that we depend on for our safety and protection. Many hunters, fishers, outdoors folk, providers, workers, subsistence livers, and so many more people groups use our knives for tasks that literally depend on a knife for survival, protection, and food preparation. I make a knife that you can depend on for life  no questions asked, and that means something to me.  The steels I use are among  the best steels for a knife in the world if heat treated properly.  A good tool uses good material and is designed to preform for a specific task. I build tools for work...hard work. 

TKELL GRIP

NICKEL BORON

BELT CARRY SHEATH

SHARPENING

WARRANTY

U.S.M.C VETERAN MADE