Getting ready to start my first knife!

[65steve65]

Hey guys I am excited to say I am fixing to buy some files, and get started on my first knife. I want to hand make completely my first one, just to appreciate it more. I do have a question or to I haven't found a good answer to.
I did read that there are different answers dependent on who you are but first and foremost,...........a newb question I am sure you guys get tired of.........steel
I was think O1 but I have read some things about patina, and air hardening. should this concern me? this is most likely my high carbon choice.
As for stainless, If I go that route, I was thinking CM154. I have read a lot of encouraging things about this steel for beginners. This will be a 4-5inch fixed blade, full tang.
I have no shops near me in northcentral AL, so to the interweb I will go! I will also be sending out for heat treat.

Next is handle material.
I love the look of Kirinite. how easy is it to work with and make look good. I also love Carbon Fiber, just not sure the ease of that on a first knife. I simply assume I would treat that as fiberglass as far as a skin irritant, so PPE would be needed.

any advice would be great!

 

[bittermanbrewing]

I'm new to knife making myself b so take this with grain of salt. If you are sending heat treat out I would go with the 154 and send it to Texas knife supply or somewhere else like that where it is pretty reasonable for small quantities. You can also grind air hardening steels much closer to the finished thickness compared with high carbon steels (wish I knew that before I sent mine out)


I would skip the cf for now and go with something a bit easier to work with.

 

[65steve65]

awesome thanks for that bit of advice! I am thinking of holding off on the CF, maybe get some reps in on some less expensive material