What steels are good and where do I get them?

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Anthony Strazhnikov

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I am currently 14 years old and a beginning bladesmith, but I do not know what steels are good to use or where to get them. If anyone has any tips or any scraps that they will be willing to let me have please let me know. I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.
-Anthony
 
Welcome!

If you are able to get packages shipped to you (I don't know where you are), then check a place called Manhattan Supply Company, and look for "flat stock", and a type of steel called O1, or O-1.

That's a letter "O", not the number "0", just in case there is any confusion.

O1 is inexpensive, easy to grind, easy to heat treat. You can do it yourself, if you choose to try.

As for tips.

The book "How to Make Knives", by Richard W. Barney and Robert W Loveless.

Also Wayne Goddard's "$50 Knife Shop". Get the revised edition.

"Step-by-Step Knifemaking: You Can do it!" has some helpful information.

The fourth book that I highly recommend is "The Complete Modern Blacksmith" by Alexander Weygers. It's not a specifically knifemaking book, but it gives an awful lot of information about scrounging your own metalworking tools and supplies.

Good luck! We look forward to seeing pictures of your work!
 
Welcome to BFC Anthony!!!!!!
You may be able to get more help in the knife makers or maintenance forum. There's a lot of folks that can steer you in the right direction.
Good luck and have fun.
 
I have been told that good places to get good steel for knives is online, but I am wondering what kind of stores around my area can sell this kind of steel ex:machine stores? Or stores like that? Thanks
-Anthony
 
Welcome to the forums.
Don't know what "your area" is exactly, so it could be leaf springs from a junk yard, old files, or you can call a knifemaking supply store and talk to a sales person, they will help you choose a very inexpensive steel that can be easy for you to work with and possibly heat treat yourself.
 
What exactly should I look up in the search bar? Because everything that keeps showing up in $30 or more. What should I look up to find a metal between $10-$20? Or where should I look for free pieces of scrap O-1?
 
Anthony Strazhnikov said:
What exactly should I look up in the search bar? Because everything that keeps showing up in $30 or more. What should I look up to find a metal between $10-$20? Or where should I look for free pieces of scrap O-1?
Click to expand...

Call a knifemaking store or email them:
Knifekits.com
Alpha knife supply.com
Use google for "knife making supplies"
Easy enough and that should get you started. Also, do not start the same thread in multiple places, it's a pain in the ace to clean up threads and is totally unnecessary.
 
I am currently 14 years old and am starting knife making as a hobby. I do not have very much money to buy quality steel for knives because I spent it all on tools for working the metal and I have been using metal that I bought for cheap at flea markets, but it is a lottery and I do not know if I have good or bad metal. I would really appreciate it if people could send me there cutoffs or small pieces of good quality knife making steels that hold an edge well. I live in the bay area in California if anyone was wondering where I am located and if they are wondering about the postal cost. Thank you everyone who just spent time to read this.
-Anthony
 
I would use old lawnmower blades.

There's gotta be a lawnmower shop, golf course or landscape company in you area that could provide you with good 1095 stock for nothing or next to nothing.

Some damn fine knives are made of 1095.
 
Yup^^ Lawnmower blades, saw blades, files. Old tools are easy to find and are great for making knives out of.
 
you''l be wanting the local scrapheap for that one mate, things to look for: old files, lawnmover blades, shears, shovel blades, saw blades (circular are best), hoe-heads, railspikes, leafsprings (the suspension system on certain old cars) and even wallpapering scizzors, the hunt can be more fun than the craft, enjoy!
 
First off, welcome! Second: Fill out your profile. We could help you a lot more if we at least knew what continent you are on.

Next, I recommend you check out the shoptalk section for knife makers. Read the "stickies" to get you started.

Are you planning on forging, or strictly stock removal? What tools do you have at your disposal? All of that factors in to what kind of steel (or supplier) will be recommended.
 
Welcome to Bladeforums.

Although I am generally of the opinion that it never hurts to ask, I think that you are kinda pushing it. You're new here, just signed up, and you start out by asking people to send you free stuff, AND pay shipping.

If a piece of steel is big enough for you to make a blade out of it, then that means it's big enough for the knife maker who bought it to make a blade out of it and recoup some of the cost of the steel (which they paid for + shipping). If a knife maker sends you their steel, not only do they lose the ability to make money off that piece of steel, but they also lose money by paying to ship it to you.

As my old man used to tell me "Anything worth having is worth earning". If you want some premium steel, find a way to earn the money to buy it. After all, how did you get the money to buy all your tools.

I wish you good luck in your knife making efforts. :)
 
Thank you for the opinion now that I look over it I can see where you are coming from. Most of my tools I bought in bulk and the big tools I got for free from my woodshop teacher, but I do not have woodshop anymore. I will look for old files in bulk. Also if anyone knows where I can buy old files, drill bits, lawnmower blades, and old bandsaw blades please let me know.
 
Anthony Strazhnikov said:
http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss3/Anthony_Strazhnikov/Knife_zpsfiso66t7.jpg?t=1439782842 Here is my first ever knife that I finished today. I don't know if its any good because I used a piece of steel I bought at a flea market so I doubt it will hold an edge.
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great effort! it looks almost exactly like my first knife! (i wonder if we all make that type first, you know, straight spine, sharpened edge but not a tapering grind, low quality "mystery steel" paracord not scales etc. and then pain the blade black) in fact the only aprecciable difference is that my paracord was red! also you might want to try making a folder from an old kitchen knife, i say a folder as they almost never have a full tang, you can even do this with an old butterknife (the kind that you can buy for pennies each at a charity shop (thrift store if you're american), i did that as a way of practising and it really helped me improve. hope this helps.
 
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