Paragon Kilns KM-18T Pro 3 Zone Knife Makers Heat Treat Furnace

Paragon Kilns KM-18T Pro 3 Zone

KM18G 3Z Kiln 6.5"W x 5.25"H x 18.0"D
2350°F Maximum Temperature
240 Volts / 1 Phase / 50 Hz 23 Amps 5050 Watts
Fiber Muffles (3)
Sentinel SmartTouch Controller
NEMA 6-30P Cordset
Guillotine Door
Door Switch
Solid State Relay with Safety back-up

Paragon KM-18T Pro 3 Zone Knife Maker’s Heat Treating Furnace

Test exotic heat treating formulas

As the owner of a Paragon KM-18T knife heat treat oven, 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 KM-18T knife heat treat oven is rated to 2350° F, so you can heat treat as hot as you need to.

Long lasting solid state relays

The Paragon KM-18T knife heat treat oven 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 Paragon KM-18T knife heat treat oven 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.

Three fast-response “special limit” thermocouples

The thermocouples are made of expensive “special limit” wire for a higher level of accuracy. They are made in America with American-made parts. They are 14-gauge exposed-tip for fast response to temperature changes. Measured from the front, the thermocouples are located in the top at 3”, 9”, and 15”.

Ceramic fiber firing chamber for fast heating and cooling

The Paragon KM-18T knife heat treat oven 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.

Digital Sentinel Smart Touch controller

The Paragon KM-18T knife heat treat oven comes with a deluxe touch-screen Sentinel temperature controller. Store 12 custom knife steel programs with up to 32 segments per program. (Adjust the rate, temperature, and hold time for each segment.) The Sentinel includes Novice Mode, which adds questions to guide you during programming. The controller software can be updated through WiFi.

View the progress of a firing in graph mode. The firing schedule can be edited during firing with Skip Step, Add Segments, Add Temperature, and Add Time. The Sentinel can turn a vent or gas injection flow meter on or off for each segment of a program.

The Sentinel gives a continuous amperage and circuit voltage readout during firings.

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

Choose a guillotine door, drop door, or side-swing door

You can order a Paragon KM-18T knife heat treat oven with a drop door, a side-swing door, or a guillotine door. (The photos above show the guillotine door.) The price of the furnace is the same for all door styles, and they all have a stainless steel front.

The guillotine door lifts out of the way with one-handed operation. It lifts effortlessly with the assistance of a spring on each side of the furnace.

Because of the rigid case and heavy duty opening assembly, any door that you order 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.

Choose from the optional paint colors

As shown in the photos, the standard knifemaking furnaces are painted a deep black, which would look perfect in your shop. You can choose a different paint color at no extra charge. (Choose from the paint colors listed below the furnace specifications. Scroll down.)

No more waiting for commercial heat treating

A Paragon KM-series furnace 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 Paragon knife oven 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.

Specifications