Ben,

I looked at a map and see you are near Beaumont. Too bad it is so far from Dallas or you could come to my place (Still can if you want).

What are the chances of you borrowing an oxy/aetylene from a friend for a day?

The bottom line is that you have to get the steel hot enough to go a little past critical. If you can do that yourself, there is no reason to look for help.

For the cost of one of the smaller torch setups, you could just build a forge. If you are interested in that, I can assist.

If you have reason to come to Dallas, my shop is open for you, just let me know. We can heat treat your knives, build a forge or just play with the fire.