Best steel for a beginer

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unky_gumbi

Joined
Aug 28, 2009
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7,951
Ok I have done a fair amount of reading asked a couple of questions now its time for the big one, What would be the best steel for a beginer to use?
I will be going with the stock removale method, and tools will be limited to a hack saw, grinder and files, with the possiblity of a belt sander.
My first knife will be a fixed with a 5-7 inch blade, and most likely micarta scales. I haven't quite decided on the profile yet, but I am leaning to a drop point with a flat grind.

thanks
George
 
I'm not a knifemaker & hope I'm not out of place mentioning this,but I remember reading that 1080 is a good steel for beginners.
 
1080/1084 are some of the better steels for beginers to use if you are going to try to do the heat treat yourself. They will give you a really good blade and are very forgiving with you heat treatment and can be done with a minimal amount of equipment. Good luck.
 
Unless you have a desire to heat treat at home or have the minimum heat treating equipment needed for 10xx steel (firebrick and a plumber's torch for small knives) I would just get an air hardening steel and send it out. A 7" blade can be a challenge with a plumber's torch anyhow. 440C and A2 should give you inexpensive, quality steel offerings in both stainless (440C) and non-stainless (A2) forms that can be heat treated professionally for a little cash.

You should be able to get a single knife heat treated professionally for less than it will cost you to setup for it at home. There's also something to be said for knowing it was done right. I don't know what your heat treating options are up in Canada, but I think that Rob! here on the forums offers heat treat services.
 
I am unsure of where I will be getting the heat treating done But I would like to be able to do it at home. So far I have only found one place that does heat treating and they look like they are more of a mass industry than an one off small bussiness
 
1080/1084 is probably best. Its quite forgiving, doesnt require soak periods as long as higher carbon steels do to perform at its best and you have quite a bit of leeway with the temp.

Jamie
 
Anyone can do heat treat at home. Fire up the grill, have a freind use a hair dryer to get the coals glowing and put your knife in the glowing coals Make sure you use enough coals to cover blade) and use a magnet to determine when it is non magnetic and quench in warmed oil. 5160 is probably the best for newbies. Very forgiving and forges well or works fine for stock removal. Men have been doing it this way for centuries (using bellows instead of hair dryer. I did it this way for 5 years with good success.
 
unky_gumbi said:
I am unsure of where I will be getting the heat treating done But I would like to be able to do it at home. So far I have only found one place that does heat treating and they look like they are more of a mass industry than an one off small bussiness
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1084 and 5160 are the easiest to heat treat at home, but if you are going to send them out to be heat treated, many places will refuse to heat treat them as they are oil-quenching steels.
 
Thanks for all the input and after some research I have decided on the 5160. I will be ordering some in the next couple of weeks. All I have to do now is finalize my design. I do my design work in 3d cad so maybe I will post it up before I start to see what others think of what lerks in my mind.
I found a piece of cheap steel at work that is the rough size of what I will be ordering so I plan on doing some testing with that befor I dive into the real thing. I figure its better to work out the bugs on something that doesn't mater then when it really counts.

And Mr Graves those are some beautiful pieces on your web page, I hope to make it to that level someday.
 
Thats where I plan on getting the steel from. I was going to give him a call today about the heat treating, but got tied up at work and just didn't get around to it. Hopefully tomorrow will run a little smoother
 
01 requires a more involved HT than a beginner lacking an oven, or other form of heat control can handle.
 
what makes 1084 and 5160 different with regards to heat treating it?

Only asking because I'm a total noob looking to try my hand at making a knife and trying to find some kind of starting point.:o
 
Fletch Helical said:
what makes 1084 and 5160 different with regards to heat treating it?

Only asking because I'm a total noob looking to try my hand at making a knife and trying to find some kind of starting point.:o
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These steels don't require extended soak times so you can harden them with just a torch. They also don't get much, if any, retained austenite.
 
In the case of 1084, it is basicly iron, carbon, and some manganese. Goes into solution easily, and hardens easily, even with simple quench oils. 01 is iron, chrome, tungsten, vanadium, and a few other additives. 01 requires about a 20 minute soak at a controled temp from 1475°, to 1500°, in order for these alloys to go to solution with the carbon, and get even dispersal of all. 5160 also really requires a soak of maybe 8, to 15 minutes at that same temp range because of the high chrome content. If you want it at it's best.
 
So technically you can harden 1084 with just a torch? Assuming you don't have a forge. If so what kind of torch are we talking here? Meaning could you do it with just a propane torch? Or do you have to have something like an acetylene torch?
 
Fletch Helical said:
So technically you can harden 1084 with just a torch? Assuming you don't have a forge. If so what kind of torch are we talking here? Meaning could you do it with just a propane torch? Or do you have to have something like an acetylene torch?
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Propane torch. I got one of those Bernzomatics for $10 at Home Depot.
 
Fletch Helical said:
So technically you can harden 1084 with just a torch? Assuming you don't have a forge. If so what kind of torch are we talking here? Meaning could you do it with just a propane torch? Or do you have to have something like an acetylene torch?
Click to expand...

It would have to be a small blade, and just the edge area I would think. Mapp gas might get a small blade hot enough overall. The makeshift little brick forges seem to do OK for some. I have never tried that though. It is my thought that you might do better with barbeque grill and a hair drier. That will get very hot, and give a more even heat.
 
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