Heat Treat Ovens

Heat Treat Oven FAQs

What temperature do I need for heat treating knives?

Most knife steels harden between 1450–2000°F depending on alloy — high-carbon steels at the lower end, air-hardening and stainless steels higher. Every oven here reaches common knife steel ranges; check max temperature per model for steels like CPM and high-speed alloys.

120V or 240V heat treat oven?

120V models (like Evenheat's KH series) run on household outlets and reach temperature in about 1.5 hours — ideal for hobbyists. 240V models heat roughly twice as fast and support larger chambers for volume work. See our knife maker's guide to heat treat ovens for choosing between series.

What's the difference between heat treating and tempering?

Heat treating hardens the steel at high temperature; tempering is a second, lower-temperature cycle (300–1200°F) that trades a little hardness for toughness. Dedicated tempering ovens are in our tempering ovens collection.

Why buy a heat treat oven instead of sending blades out?

Control and turnaround. In-house heat treating means no shipping blades, no waiting on batch minimums, and full control of your recipes — most makers find the oven pays for itself quickly. Building a full shop? See our curated knife ovens, quench tanks and belt grinders.