Knife blank steel.

danbot said:
Will you be using a belt grinder? I ask because with fully hardened steel, I would suspect you will go through a lot of belts!
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Why you think that ? Ceramic belts , used in right way last very long time .They have life to grind many blades..............
 
DeadboxHero said:
just buy a known steel from an online supplier, the steel is the cheapest thing you buy in knife making.
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So you think that engineers in paper industry don't know which steel is good for cutting paper ? That they use some cheap UNKNOWN steel ? My friend , MOST of steel made for cutting are MADE for industry not for you and me to make one , two four knife .For example , almost ALL knife for tobacco cutting industry here are 1.2519 steel ..... for paper cutting they are /most of them here / D2 steel ............ Steel for working on wood .............they use junk steel , that you think ? So tell me about known steel from online supplier :D
 
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Natlek said:
So you think that engineers in paper industry don't know which steel is good for cutting paper ? That they use some cheap UNKNOWN steel ? My friend , MOST of steel made for cutting are MADE for industry not for you and me to make one , two four knife .For example , almost ALL knife for tobacco cutting industry here are 1.2519 steel ..... for paper cutting they are /most of them here / D2 steel ............ Steel for working on wood .............they use junk steel , that you think ? So tell me about known steel from online supplier :D
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Why waste time?
 
Natlek said:
Why you think that ? Ceramic belts , used in right way last very long time .They have life to grind many blades..............
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I'm thinking A/O belts. I've never tried ceramic belts. They don't buy the expensive ones where I work.;):(
 
Natlek said:
So you think that engineers in paper industry don't know which steel is good for cutting paper ? That they use some cheap UNKNOWN steel ? My friend , MOST of steel made for cutting are MADE for industry not for you and me to make one , two four knife .For example , almost ALL knife for tobacco cutting industry here are 1.2519 steel ..... for paper cutting they are /most of them here / D2 steel ............ Steel for working on wood .............they use junk steel , that you think ? So tell me about known steel from online supplier :D
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I think he means that buying a steel that the knifemaker knows the composition of is the only way to get the heat treat right on, unless you are willing to spend countless hours trusting different heat treat regimes on.
 
I thought we already established that one of the benefits of me using this steel was to avoid heat treatment.
 
Shorerider said:
I thought we already established that one of the benefits of me using this steel was to avoid heat treatment.
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Yep, and stick to that thought. After you've made a few knives, figured out exactly what tools you'll need, but more importantly, how much everything costs, then I'd look into spending your extra cash on steel.

Until then use as many of the paper cutting blades as you want.
The only thing I'd be concerned with is that 1.5mm is only about .059" thick. I shoot for about .070 for my kitchen slicers. Do they have any thicker blades?

as always
peace and love
billyO
 
weo said:
Yep, and stick to that thought. After you've made a few knives, figured out exactly what tools you'll need, but more importantly, how much everything costs, then I'd look into spending your extra cash on steel.

Until then use as many of the paper cutting blades as you want.
The only thing I'd be concerned with is that 1.5mm is only about .059" thick. I shoot for about .070 for my kitchen slicers. Do they have any thicker blades?

as always
peace and love
billyO
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Perfect reply, thanks. I agree, at the very least they will be good to practice on before committing to true kife making steel. Better to make mistakes on rubbish than to ruin good steel.

1.5mm is the thickest I've found so far, I'm sure something thicker will pop up eventually. I was thinking of making something simple like a paring knife. A filleting knife could also be a possibility.
 
If you've got a relatively rigid drill press (or better yet, a mill), you can drill the hardened steel with carbide bits. If precision is not an issue, a carbide tipped masonry bit will even do the job.
 
Shorerider said:
G'day guys,

I'm just starting out as a knife maker and have been slowly gathering the necessary bits and pieces.

I have access to steel used for machinery blades which is 2-3mm thick. My question is, would I simply be able to shape and sharpen this steel as it would already have adequate hardness?

Any input is most welcome.
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Shorerider said:
They are used blades, made to cut paper. Just blunt and replaced with a new one.
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I think HeavyHanded HeavyHanded might know a thing or two about blades for the paper cutting industry.

My advise is get good ceramic belts, keep it cool, and most of all have fun.
 
Another thought. A common phrase in the knifemaking world about belts is "use em like they're free". Well, for as long as you feel necessary, do that with this steel. If it's free, you can perfect your sharpening... work on grinding... play around with heat treating,... get great at making filet knives,...oh yeah, have fun!
~billyO
 
Shorerider said:
G'day guys,

I'm just starting out as a knife maker and have been slowly gathering the necessary bits and pieces.

I have access to steel used for machinery blades which is 2-3mm thick. My question is, would I simply be able to shape and sharpen this steel as it would already have adequate hardness?

Any input is most welcome.
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They should be fine with all the precautions against overheating. I'd give em a good look over and see if you can ID the actual blade steel. Some of the paper cutter guillotine blades are single side laminated that could cause additional issues.
 
Shorerider said:
Perfect reply, thanks. I agree, at the very least they will be good to practice on before committing to true kife making steel. Better to make mistakes on rubbish than to ruin good steel.

1.5mm is the thickest I've found so far, I'm sure something thicker will pop up eventually. I was thinking of making something simple like a paring knife. A filleting knife could also be a possibility.
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We forgot rasps for wood and file for metal .Easy to find ....Old file is perfect candidate for good knife .No need to heat treat , just temper after you cut and grind blade.................But before you start working on file, cut small piece , put in vise and hit with hammer .IF breaks easy ......... it is good one .Good luck with your project .Take some picture for us as you make progress ;)
BpY16LQ.jpg

PREEFWN.jpg

L4NMZKj.jpg
 
Natlek said:
We forgot rasps for wood and file for metal .Easy to find ....Old file is perfect candidate for good knife .No need to heat treat , just temper after you cut and grind blade.................But before you start working on file, cut small piece , put in vise and hit with hammer .IF breaks easy ......... it is good one .Good luck with your project .Take some picture for us as you make progress ;)
BpY16LQ.jpg

PREEFWN.jpg

L4NMZKj.jpg
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Nice puukko
 
1.5mm is a very good thickness for slicers and small kitchen knives.

I grind the bulk of my kitchen knives from .060" ( 1.52mm) steel. I profile it, do the HT and then grind the final bevels and fine tune the shape while hard.

As said by the others, go slow and do not let it get hot. Grind a pass and dip in the tub of water ... repeat. If it is too hot to hold in your bare fingers, it is getting too hot. It will be slow, but you can make a knife that way. One issue will be that you won't be able to put holes in the tang in hardened steel unless you have carbide drilling equipment. Use pre-existing holes as much as possible, or make hidden tang knifes.
 
Interesting that I have never seen anybody mention Bad Dog bits on here. I have seen them at various trade shows drilling holes thru all sorts of hard stuff including files. I have a set but don't use them in the knife shop. Generally I reserve them for particularly difficult concrete drilling situations.
 
RedFury said:
Interesting that I have never seen anybody mention Bad Dog bits on here. I have seen them at various trade shows drilling holes thru all sorts of hard stuff including files. I have a set but don't use them in the knife shop. Generally I reserve them for particularly difficult concrete drilling situations.
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I'm wasn't familiar with Bad Dog bits, but I've had plenty good luck using simple carbide bits bought at home depot for like ten bucks. Why reinvent the wheel?
 
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