Sounds like Dale just sold you a new religion, but water quench done right with a fast steel like 1084 is how a lot of old timers got screaming hard edges for free. You were probably just moving too slow between the forge and the tub, not the water itself. Warm canola is forgiving, sure, but forgiving is also another word for soft.

That "lives in my apron" thing is too real, I lose mine every five minutes otherwise. Glad it's saving you the redo headaches.

Oh man this reminds me of when I tried making my own yogurt to save money and ended up with a weird soupy mess that cost more than just buying the tub. My grandma used to keep a big pot of beans going on the back burner all day and I always thought it was just an old person thing. Turns out she was just smarter than me with money the whole time. The planning part is what kills it for most people, you gotta think about dinner the night before instead of at 6pm when you're already hungry.