Figured a magnet would ruin my quench, turns out the old smith down in Abilene was right about keeping one handy

Elliot Ellis · 2026-10-17T13:05:03.429759+00:00

I always thought holding a magnet near hot steel was asking for trouble, some kind of contamination thing. Last spring a guy at a hammer-in in Abilene showed me how he checks temp on 1084 by touching a magnet to it. When it stops sticking, you're past critical. I tried it on a batch of 6 knife blanks and every one hardened clean. Now I keep a magnet on a wire by the forge. Anyone here use the magnet trick on other steels, or does it only work for the simple carbon ones?

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Figured a magnet would ruin my quench, turns out the old smith down in Abilene was right about keeping one handy | Blacksmiths - The Community Guide