What type of steel..............

Moose57

Moose57

Joined
Nov 13, 2007
Messages
122
What type of steel would you suggest for a new knife maker? I've put together knives with ready made blades, but I want to try my hand at grinding my own. I would like to make a user type knife in a drop point hunter design. While a stainless steel might be preferable for this type knife, I would like to start with a steel that is easy to work with and yet still be serviceable. I am open to suggestions either way.

I have a 2"x48" belt grinder that I can use to make the blade. Having grown up in the construction industry, I am very comfortable in working with my hands. I have a wide variety of hand tools available. A drill press, hand drills, 4" and 10" grinders, table saw, porta-band, files, etc., etc.

I might also like to try my hand at heat treating. So keep that in mind also.

This is a great forum. Glad I found it.

Thanks for your help,
Paul
 
O-1 seems to be a pretty common one people jump to recommend. Are the other ones you suggested have the same traits?

Would a knifemaker prefer O1 over, say, 410/430/440 steel?

I guess I'm really asking, for lack of truly understanding, is why is O1 so popular over other kinds of stock?
 
An excerpt from MetalsDepot::

CHARACTERISTICS - O1 is an oil-hardening, non-deforming tool steel which can be hardened at relatively low temperatures. Tools and dies made from O-1 will have good wearing qualities since the tungsten and higher chromium content gives improved wear resistance over the straight manganese grades.

WORKABILITY - - Machinability is high. Grindability is high.

I don't really know myself but it looks like a good steel because it doesn't deform apparently from heat treating :D (which is a plus I would think...) That and "Grindability is high" is a plus too (I would think haha). I'm not an expert knife maker or anything but "Oil-hardening"... that for like oil quenching right?
 
oil quench yes, Kevin Cashen describes it well as a round peg. The moly in it gives it good harden ability. designed to be an un-exciting steel. (unless you spill the oil- then its exciting!)
 
Many start with O-1 because it is very available. You can get it at most industrial suppliers (fastenall,etc.), knife suppliers (Jantz, TKS,K&G,etc.) ,and all metal suppliers. It is a good steel.
My favored starter steel for forging is 1080/1084. It is the simplest steel for a good hard edge. Nothing fancy - basically iron and carbon (with a small amount of other items). It works easy, forges well, grinds easy, and has the simplest HT of any steel. It is fine for stock removal,too.You can do your own HT on 1080/1084 with simple HT equipment.The blades can be sent out for HT for about $10 per blade, often less.

For stainless, there are a lot of choices, but for the return in performance for the cost, I recommend CPM 154 . It is readily available from knife suppliers ,and from Crucible Steel(the maker of CPM154).
440C is cheaper and readily available. It makes a good knife ,too.
HT on stainless is much more complicated, and most newer makers, and those with low volume production just sent them out to the many HT shops available. The cost averages around $10-15 per blade.
Stacy
 
I'm going to throw my hat in for 1080/1084 also. I know so many guys like to recommend O-1 because it's "simple" to heat treat and it'll let you heat treat it again if you make a mistake. The issue is that it's actually a bit more complex to properly HT O-1. Hot workers tell me O-1 works much stiffer under the hammer, in my experience, O-1 is also much more expensive (which I feel is a factor for any maker who's trying out his first few blades), harder on belts and it rusts like no tomorrow. Although 1084 is no slouch, I'd have a tough time believing any steel rusts faster than O-1.

For stainless, I like the idea of staying cheap as well, and I think 440C and ATS-34 fit the bill. Seems like folks are looking down on both of them a bit lately and that's good news for new makers. Truth is, they'll both make an excellent knife. Using stainless costs you more per blade, but you can send it out for heat treating, which means less equipment and being sure that your knife will come back properly hardened.
 
any of the 10 series(1050-1095), 5160, 01, L6 for carbon steels. work with these and master there heat treatments before moving to the stainless.
 
I would say any of the 10xx or O-1, I started with 1095, but if I am not mistaken, 1084 is a little easier to heat treat than 1095 and still makes a good blade.
 
I would say either 1084, or 1090-1095 (get it from Aldo and Mace, look on the knifemakers for sale threads) or O-1 I have been using O-1 for 20 years, and it works great, Last year I picked up some 1084 from Mace and Aldo, great stuff, forges easy, forgewelds easy,heat treats well, it's what I use for teaching now, and my next billet of Damascus is going to have some of the 1095 I am ordering from Aldo right now in it.

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