Steel for 1st. knife

smitty0331

smitty0331

Joined
Dec 5, 2006
Messages
892
I'm planning on making my first knife soon and I'm having a little bit of a dilema deciding on steel. My first knife is going to be a small hunter/skinner aI'll make via the stock removal method. My next one is going to be a small to mid sized wharncliffe. I would prefer to stick with carbon steels since that's my preference. I also won't be doing my own heat treating yet either. I'm torn between 1095 and A2. What are your opinions and why? Also would anyone suggest any other carbon steel? I would also appreciate a good source for steel as well. Thanks in advance for all the help....By the way, does anyone have a good source for white linen micarta? All I can seem to find is white paper.
 
1095 or A2 will be fine since your not doing your own heat treat, The sky's the limit. My picks would br to try 52100 a most excellant carbon knife steel, or Crucible's L6.
Admiral Steel's 8670 isnt bad either. But good ole O1 is REALLY hard to beat.
 
If your heat treater can handle it, anything goes. I've mostly purchased in fairly large orders from various people, so i don't know the regular suppliers like admiral that well.

Of what I've worked with I don't think you can go wrong with any high 10 series- 1084 would be my choice, but I don't know if you can even get that PG in specific thicknesses. 5160 will work, A2, O1 is pretty nice stuff, I think. I've made a few O1 pieces that I really liked the performance of.
 
Glad to see you are taking the "plunge" sorry I had to say that:D Send me a e-mail to nick@metricsunlimited.com
We are a cutting tool and fastener supplier. We also carry O-1,A-2,D-2 and S-7 tool steels all are P.F.G. and made in PA. Give us a try and I bet you will be very pleased with the steel we provide.


Nick:)
 
Nick is a good place for steel. Nice quality for an unbeatable price. I say O1 is about the best beginner steel. I'm still working on my first knife :o. My mind has been drifting off of my knife.:rolleyes:
 
I think the only thing would be how much you are willing to spend on a chunk of steel.
Some good steels,

5160
1085
1095
52100
01
W1
W2
15n20
L6
D2
A2
3v
10v
m2

I only have experience with 01, but I have read that the steels above will be good, A2 sounds great, so does 1095. Both great! Go with the one that is easiest to find.
 
Rocketman, this is a new item for us and we have not yet, put it on our web site. Which is why I posted my e-mail addy. so I can be contacted for quoting.



Nick:)
 
I am guessing that Canton is the closest Town near you with a Fastenal Store near you. Here is a link to there store locations in Ohio.
http://www.fastenal.com/web/locations.ex?action=search&zip=&state=OH
Walk in buy a bar of Oil hardening steel (what they call 0-1)
I started with a bar 1/8th X 1.25" X 36" and cut out 4 knife blanks.
It was not very expensive and no shipping. I am not sure the steel matters
as much as getting started.:thumbup:
Remember you will be your own worst critic, I have seen so many beautiful
first attempts here that I was almost embarrassed by mine. Your best knife is usually your next one
 
how about A-2 and i will give it to u,and heat treat, just pay for shipping back and forth. i have tacticool chunks though. .270 x 1.6 x 11.5, u work with that its yours. everyone needs a good start. this is not a easy game to play.
 
Wow! Thanks for the offer. I'm looking for .125 x 1.125. I would be more than happy to pay for it. Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it.
 
Use 13C26, it has similar properties to 1095 and A2 but is stainless.
 
I have purchased white linen micarta from Sheffield Knifemaker's Supply out of Florida. It doesn't come in thicknesses which I want for hidden tang knives though that is it's only downfall. I love this stuff for handles..it looks clean and different, and goes great with the color of mirror polished steel and black micarta pins :thumbup: Good luck, this is an activity that many find HIGHLY addictive and more entertaining than TV. Oh, Try A-2. After ten years I just found out it is avalible twice as long and still flat ground as any other steel I have tried and A-2 is suppossed to make up into a better blade than O-1 in trade of for being more difficult to heat treat at home. I used so much O-1 and then yesterday I found out A-2 is availible in ground six foot bars where O-1 is never mill finish or longer than three feet :mad:
 
I'v decided to go with 01 for my first few blades based on everyones advice, and ease of acquiring it. How does 01 compare to 1095 though, in terms of edge retention, toughness, and hardness? Thanks for the info. on the micarta ssunfish. I'm not sure I want to get into something thats to difficult to heat treat yet, I'm getting my heat treating done by a heat treater for now, I would like to do it myself, but I don't have the equipment, or the know-how, and frankly, I don't even know where to begin.
 
to learn to heat treat, get a copy of the $50 knife shop, read up on spark testing and blacksmith style quench testing.

Kevin is going to KILL me for saying that. :D But I think it's a great way to get a bit of practical experience and learn to do decent- even pretty damned good- blades.

By all means, from there take it to another level, learn theory, REALLY learn metallurgy. BUt I advise starting from practice and experience and then doing the extensive theory, rather than vice versa. Knifemaking is a hands on art.
 
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