So this question is for all the experienced forgers.  I have been using steel color and magnetic checks on all my blades so far and believe I have gotten fairly good at getting my blades to the right temp without overheating them prior the quench.  I want to buy a 12 inch thermocouple and appropriate pyrometer.  I plan to slide the pyrometer in the tube next to my knife blades.

I am planning to do a lot more work with 1095 and need to harden some rasp knives.  I want to be able to set my forge at the right temperature to get a soak time to get all the carbon to go into solution in the matrix.

What are the systems that you are using for a thermocouple and pyrometer.  Company names and model # would be real nice.  I have done quite a bit of reasearch and know I need a K type thermocouple that will read up to 2300 degrees.  Is it a good idea to get the ceramic protective covers or are they a waste of cash?

A what and a who??

Try Omega.com

I decided to call and talk to a live person so I could tell them what I'm doing and get the probe for those temps. I got the meter readout, a wire and two probes and already have used them up. I recommend getting extra probes, if you can. They bend real easy at those temps. They work ok bent most of the time, I've found out. Lin

Bailey's Ceramic Supply is a good source.

Lin you might want to think about the ceramic tubes they sell to slide the thermocouple probe into to protect it. Been using the same thermocouple for several years with the tube protecting it....

Thanks Doug.

Thanks for the info guys.  

I figured the probe and pyrometer would be a good intermediate step until I put the cash away for the electric kiln.