What steel do you work with most?

R

Richard Barrett

Joined
Sep 6, 2007
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Again another post which has spirited the forums before, but I am eager to get a collective feel for what people seem to work with the most...

I am curious to know from different members;

What type of steel do you work with most often, what thickness do you like to use for knives and/or sword blades and why for both?

I'd also like to know where people buy from the most?
 
Mostly I use RWL-34 and O1, I feel they are both very good steels that perfrom well for me, but also here in Oz options are kind of limted.
Thickness usually between 1/8 and 3/16 for knives, I like slicers with distal tapers.Much thicker than that is overkill to me in most cases unless your building swords or prybars Haven't made any swords yet.
Get most of my steel from a Bohler dealer in the city of from the only knifemakers supplies in Oz.
 
For stainless, mostly ATS34.

For carbon steel, 1095.

I also use a lot of 5160 and A2.
 
i use nothing but 1075 that comes from john deere seperator discs. i have made knives from d2 and 440c before.
 
So far for me the majority of my knives have been made of O1. I did make a few out of 5160 though. A2, D2, 1084, CPM 3V, and 1095 are in my sights to make a few knives out of.
 
I use 5160, 1070, 1084 mostly but now that I have my Kiln, I have been getting into 1095, 52100 and O1... all in 1/4" x 1 1/2" when I can.

I get my steel from Aldo whenever possible and Admiral occasionally.
 
In order;
1084 most of the time.
5160
W2
Soon to be starting in on some O1 that I hoarded away a few years ago.
Neat Thread.
 
I used 5160 more in the past, cable damascus that I make, but right now mostly 52100 and W1 and W2. I've used S30V on a few.

I started out with automotive spring steel, right now my 52100 is coming from a large batch of tapered roller bearings that I lucked into. The W series steels are great for hamons and very nice to work with, I got some monster W2 from Don Hanson and have been using some W1 1" round stock that I got from Deker here on the forums. If you are looking into forging, you might see if Deker has more. He's a good reasonable source for W1.
 
Primarily 1084 and W-2. Larger knives like choppers get 5160 or 9260. 1084 and 15N20 for damascus.
Brion
 
The majority of what I've used has been either D2 or CPM 154. I like both of them a lot. I also like working with Elmax and CPM 3V, but mostly it's the first two.
 
Mostly CPM-154 from USAknifemaker and Starrett O1 from whoever has it on sale. There are so many great alloys available that I forced myself to narrow it down to one great stainless and one great "plain" steel. I like tool steel too but haven't quite narrowed that one down yet.

I've also used 440C, 1095, CPM-3V, 1080, 1084 and Carpenter CTS-XHP. All are excellent materials in their own ways. I've made a handful of Nicholson and Simmonds file knives too.
 
1084 from Aldo for most single steel knives

(Aldo's website is http://www.njsteelbaron.com)

1084/15n20 from Aldo for most of my Damascus

1095 from Aldo/Nickel sheet for special damascus

5160 for swords

CPM 154 from Aldo for any blades I need to do in stainless

I have about 50 pounds of cable from my last job that I use for making cable damascus, and I have about 30 pounds of antique wrought iron I got at an auction for making historically correct medieval composite blades.

I also bloom smelt my own wrought iron occasionally

-Page
 
I do stock removal so I use O1 in 1/8" mostly but I have used 1/4", 3/16" and 1/16 a couple of times. I found a good local supplier who is fairly inexpensive, so I stuck with it. If I get into forging, I may get into 1095 or other carbon steels.
 
The stainless steels that I use are CPM154, 154CM, ATS34 and 440C. tool steels that I have used are A2, D2 and 01. Most of my knives lately have been either CPM154 or ATS34.
 
I have worked with O1, 5160, 1095 (Admiral), 1084 (Aldo), but mostly work with 1080 (Kelly Cupples). Thickness depends on the knife I am making, it ranges anywhere from 1/8" to 1/4".
 
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