Since I began learning to pick locks, I have noticed that many people don't seem to have much knowledge about hardening and tempering steel. Even the author of my book on lock picking describes the hardening process (quenching), but calls it tempering! Quenching is not tempering steel - it is hardening the steel! I find the problem puzzling in fact because a simple google search would clear things up.
I'm not an expert but I have been learning about hardening/tempering steel for quite a while. Here is a good place to get some info at:
http://www.bodycote.com/en-GB/services/ ... ering.aspxI don't see a way to use hyperlink on this site...
Also, a step that sooo many people overlook or don't know about is to polish the tool real good before tempering. After cleaning the oil off from hardening(quenching) the steel, polish it well. Make sure the steel is well polished and clean from dirt, fingerprints, etc., before tempering and you will have some beautiful tools.
Tempering to a beautiful blue will remove more hardness from the steel than tempering to a straw color, but it will be more flexible and less prone to breakage. If you don't like the blued or straw look after tempering, then you can polish it again and make it shiny and beautiful. Of course it goes without saying that you need to start with some good steel that is capable of being hardened.
So do a little research and go make some well tempered nice looking tools! I hope this helps.
