Need guidance before I start with my first knive.

[ticoblades]

Hello everyone

I am new to the knife making hobby and I have a few concerns that maybe someone could help me to figure out. I am from Costa Rica so I was not able to find 1095 but was able to get my hands on a piece of A2 steel (6mm x 120mm x 600mm) and it cost me around 80 dollars which it really impact my pockets so I want to try to do my first knife the best way so it turned into money well spend.

At this moment for been new in the hobby I do not have nice or heavy equipment to do this the best way, but I really want to get started. Right now my main concern is the hardening and quenching process, the expert where I bought the steel told me that I have to let the A2 steel air cool but I do have the concern of de-carbonization. I want to see if anyone could give me good pointers on how would be the best way to do this process, should try to get some aluminum plates and do press/air cooling process, should I use oil, or just let the blade cool by itself. Also should I use the stainless steel foil?

Thank you for all your guidance and support, please let me know your inputs, and by the way I was planning to use wood charcoal try reach lemon yellow just need to know what would be the best quenching process.

Thanks
William Sing
Ticoblades

 

[Kevin Jones]

As the below title suggests, you may do better here:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/741-Shop-Talk-BladeSmith-Questions-and-Answers

 

[Lorien]

if you want to maximize your materials costs, might I suggest that you take your time in coming up with a good pattern first.

 

[ticoblades]

I do have my patterns ready and a very nice cocobolo wood I will use for the handles.
Kevin thanks for the guidance