It lost some hardness, but none I could tell. May have lost some abrasion resistance, but that's not something I look for a large knife intended for chopping, splitting, prying, and digging, so couldn't tell you. It could soft metals and hard plastics without losing a hair-popping edge (that Justin applied when he fixed the scales for me.. ..I couldn't put them back on correctly <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> ). Don't know if regular cryo would do much for 5160 as it's a simple alloy. The controlled temperature drop in a pressure-sealed room type of cryogenic processing done by folks in Dan's family might do something.


It'll have some bainite in it no matter what you do. My oil-quenched and tempered S7 bowie (somewhere around RC57-58 hardness, I think) is my only knife which passes 'the scratching post' test. Our cats' old scratching posts are pile carpet glued to some pine. All soft stuff, but it can dent or chip 5160 (martensite and bainite), 52100, and every stainless under the sun.

Nice trying to guess whom you are. Initials C. E.?

BTW, Dan's the steel-knowing man and there's a lot of good steel info here, here, and here.