80CrV2 heat treat: austenitize, quench & temper chart
80CrV2 is a simple carbon knife steel. Here is the full heat-treat schedule — austenitizing temperature, quench, cryo and a tempering-temperature chart mapping each temper to final HRC — with every number cited to the source, not guessed.
The 80CrV2 heat-treat schedule
Austenitize: 1465–1615°F (1525°F recommended), hold 10–20 min once to temperature. A controlled oven or kiln beats forge colour for hitting this window repeatably.
Quench: Parks 50. Also acceptable: Duratherm 48, Parks AAA, Canola oil. Never use Water, Brine. Larrin Thomas's tests show no reduction in toughness with fast oils despite the NJSB datasheet caution. Slow oils (canola) work but may reduce as-quenched hardness.
Cryo (optional): Optional; marginal benefit for simple carbon steels.
Temper: 2 passes of 2 h at 400°F for the recommended edge (~60–61 HRC). Recommended 350–400°F range for working knives. Do NOT temper above 450°F — tempered martensite embrittlement zone.
80CrV2 tempering-temperature chart
Two-hour temper (×2), HRC after cryo where used. Pick the tempering temperature for the hardness your knife needs:
| Tempering temperature | Resulting hardness |
|---|---|
| 300°F (149°C) | 63–63.5 HRC |
| 350°F (177°C) | 61.5–62.5 HRC |
| 400°F (204°C) | 60–61 HRC |
| 450°F (232°C) | 59–60 HRC |
| 500°F (260°C) | 58–59 HRC |
| 550°F (288°C) | 58 HRC |
Target hardness for 80CrV2 by knife type
| Use | Recommended HRC |
|---|---|
| Kitchen | 61–62 HRC |
| EDC | 60–61 HRC |
| Hunter | 59–60 HRC |
| Hard-use chopper | 58–59 HRC |
Forging 80CrV2
Forge-friendly: Larrin Thomas's tests cover forge HT of 80CrV2. Consistency drops vs. furnace, but the cited schedule still applies. Normalize at 1600°F minimum for forge work.
Most common mistake
Never temper above 450°F — tempered martensite embrittlement zone. Normalize 1550–1650°F × 10–15 min, air cool.
FAQ
What temperature do you austenitize 80CrV2?
1465–1615°F, with 1525°F recommended, held 10–20 min once the steel is fully up to temperature.
What is the best quench for 80CrV2?
Parks 50. Duratherm 48, Parks AAA, Canola oil also work. Never Water, Brine. Larrin Thomas's tests show no reduction in toughness with fast oils despite the NJSB datasheet caution. Slow oils (canola) work but may reduce as-quenched hardness.
What HRC does 80CrV2 reach?
58–63.5 HRC across the usable tempering range; about 61–62 HRC for a kitchen knife. Temper at 400°F for ~60–61 HRC.
How do you temper 80CrV2?
2 passes of 2 h at 400°F for the recommended edge. See the chart above to pick a different tempering temperature for a harder or tougher blade.
Can you forge 80CrV2?
Forge-friendly: Larrin Thomas's tests cover forge HT of 80CrV2. Consistency drops vs. furnace, but the cited schedule still applies. Normalize at 1600°F minimum for forge work.
What you need to heat-treat 80CrV2
Repeatable hardness comes from controlling temperature and quench speed — eyeballing colour is how blades end up soft or cracked.
- A heat-treat oven or kiln holds the 1525°F austenitizing temperature — the single biggest factor in repeatable hardness.
- Quench in Parks 50 for the cited as-quenched hardness.
- Verify the result with a Rockwell hardness tester or hardness files — don't trust the schedule blind.
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Sources
Heat-treat schedules are the cited published values for 80CrV2; every furnace, quench and blade geometry varies, so verify against your own hardness testing. Getting steel to non-magnetic is not the same as reaching austenitizing temperature — use a controlled oven or kiln for repeatable results.