Best Forging Steel for a Beginner?

[knife_addict]

I feel like I should know this with how much reading I do on here, but I can't seem to find any info on what a good steel for someone just getting started with forging is. So what is a good metal to get started forging?

 

[mete]

The two basic steels for beginners for forging and HT are 5160 and 1070/1080/1084.

 

[Phil Dwyer]

Hi Friend,

Beginner at what? Guess it depends on what your goals and objectives are.

Mild steel is always a good place to start to learn drawing out, upsetting, offsetting, hot cutting, punching, etc... It's a LOT cheaper (and easier) than the carbon tool and spring steels. Can't heat treat it though, so no serviceable knife edges can be made from it. Railroad spikes are another good hunk of metal to knock around. Learning to shape blades out of those will get you well on your way.

As for getting a harden-able knife edge, I started with coil and leaf springs, but quickly learned from folks that working with a known alloy would be much more advantageous when it came to rendering predictable heat treat results. So I got some 5160. Later I learned that 1084 is even more user friendly and tolerant.

Just do a search on "beginner steel". You'll find enough reading and links to keep you busy for awhile. Here are some of them along with stuff from the newbies sticky.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=368828
http://www.engnath.com/public/manframe.htm
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=624698
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=521800&highlight=beginner+steel
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=525504
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=506489

Keep us posted as to your progress.

Good luck, Phil