I would say to use the kitchen oven, with an oven thermometer to temper. Tempering is about time and temperature and I have the gravest sort of doubt that a torch will give as consistent results as an oven. I know people use torches, but if you have an oven I really can't think of a good reason why.
Simply wiping all the oil off will stop any smells, and cooking a blade is no worse than baking bread! You can go by the oxide colour, I did, and had pretty good results, but my oven does not hold temperature, it ramps up, so care is needed.
As for the quench, I am fairly certain that most people don't get their O-1 as hard as they could, nor as fine as they can. Up to non-magnetic, back in the fire for 5 seconds and quench does NOT give the best blade. There is a noticeable difference compared to steel that has been through multiple thermal cycles and spent longer at non-magnetic. The propane/butane bottles sold at B&Q etc have more than enough gas to take several blades through multiple cycles so there isn't much reason not to.
Sorry to be a hijacker
Pignut, KUDOS very nicely done!! Now make something that doesn't look like that
Simply wiping all the oil off will stop any smells, and cooking a blade is no worse than baking bread! You can go by the oxide colour, I did, and had pretty good results, but my oven does not hold temperature, it ramps up, so care is needed.
As for the quench, I am fairly certain that most people don't get their O-1 as hard as they could, nor as fine as they can. Up to non-magnetic, back in the fire for 5 seconds and quench does NOT give the best blade. There is a noticeable difference compared to steel that has been through multiple thermal cycles and spent longer at non-magnetic. The propane/butane bottles sold at B&Q etc have more than enough gas to take several blades through multiple cycles so there isn't much reason not to.
Sorry to be a hijacker
Pignut, KUDOS
very nicely done!! Now make something that doesn't look like that 
