KM18 Pro 3-Zone Knifemaking Kiln

Test exotic heat treating formulas

As the owner of a Paragon KM18 Pro 3-Zone Knifemaking Kiln, you can live the knife making adventure to the fullest. You will witness the birth of your knives in the bright red heat of the furnace. The soul of the blade is born in the furnace. Imagine making extraordinary knives destined to become family heirlooms. These are knives you can’t buy in a hardware store.

Experiment with differential hardening, a technique handed down from the ancients. Try out the newest tool steels. Are they really as good as the tried and true D2 and A2? The Paragon KM18 Pro 3-Zone Knifemaking Kiln is rated to 2350° F, so you can heat treat as hot as you need to.

Long lasting solid state relays

The KKM18 Pro Knife 3-Zone Knifemaking Kiln has three solid state relays, which last far longer than standard mechanical relays and offer better temperature control during holds. Solid state relays have no moving parts to wear out. The first thing you will notice is that the relays are silent. You will hear just the reassuring hum of the heating elements. The relays are mounted to aluminum heat sinks.

Included with the solid state relays is a safety relay for your peace of mind.

3 zone temperature control for superior heat distribution

The KM18 Pro 3-Zone Knifemaking Kiln offers precise heat distribution throughout the length of the firing chamber. This is because it is divided into three zones. Each zone has its own thermocouple, or temperature sensor. The Sentinel controller electronically adjusts the temperature of each zone. See for yourself–test for temperature uniformity by taking measurements along the length of a blade with a Rockwell Hardness Tester.

Ceramic fiber firing chamber for fast heating and cooling

The KM-18 Pro is unusually fast, because it is made with space-age ceramic fiber. It can reach 500°F in minutes. Long lasting, “wavy” elements in the walls are surface-mounted to dissipate heat rapidly and prolong element life.

If necessary, you can reset the controller by merely turning off the toggle switch on the front panel.

The guillotine door for years of comfortable heat treating

The guillotine door is the ultimate choice for heat treating. The door lifts up and out of the way with one-handed operation. The hot side of the door remains away from you. The door lifts effortlessly with the assistance of a spring on each side. Because of the rigid case and heavy duty opening assembly, the door is sturdy enough for years of faithful service.

Door safety switch

The door micro safety switch shuts off the power to the elements when the door is opened, yet the controller continues to give a temperature readout. The safety switch is standard on Paragon KM furnaces.

No more waiting for commercial heat treating

A Paragon KM Pro 3 Zone Knifemaking kiln sets the knife maker free. No more wrapping blades and shipping them to your heat treater. No more waiting until you have a dozen blades to get the best price on heat treating. No more turning away orders for last-minute gifts.

While your furnace is hardening and tempering blades, you can busy yourself grinding more knives or fitting handles. After you’ve used your Paragon furnace awhile, you will wonder how you ever got along without it. When asked to make a knife on short notice—whether for a Marine Corps awards presentation, a celebration or retirement party, or an archaeologist on his way to Africa—you will be ready. When a custom knife is needed as a going away gift, and the recipient is leaving in three days, you will be ready. Your KM-series furnace might even pay for itself on rush orders you would otherwise have missed.

Own a furnace and you alone decide when you will complete a knife. If you stay up one Friday grinding a knife, you can heat treat it that evening and deliver it Saturday morning. Just in time for a grateful wife to present to her husband on his birthday.

Finishing a knife whenever you want will excite you. You will find yourself working into the night to complete a new design. When you send the blade out for heat treating, the excitement of making and designing it will have been forgotten. By the time the blade returns, you will hardly remember it.

Solid furnace construction

The furnace is insulated with 2 1/2” space-age ceramic fiber. A built-in solid stand lifts the firing chamber safely off your worktable. The thermocouple wire is kept safely inside the case for protection from the harsh environment of the typical bladesmith shop.