Where to get steel

F

FTO_dude

Joined
Jun 30, 2009
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Hey guys, I've been hanging around here for a while but never really posted.

I've just started getting into the world of knifemaking and i love it so far.
I have a few work in progresses. 2 out of leaf spring, 1 from a file and 1 from a sawblade.
I've kinda hit a wall however, leaf spring is easy to get but needs straightening and is only suitable for really thick blades since im doing it by stock removal. And the files and saw blades kinda limit the sizes of my blades.

Can anyone suggest some good places to get some steel? I am just a student so value is key
 
Wow hope someone from your neck of the woods can help you out. I did a quick google search and couldn't find anything. I suggest finding another knife maker from Australia and see were they are getting their steel from and maybe they will let you piggy back on their order or just sell you some of what they have.
Wish I could be more help
 
A really good place to get steel is Admiral Steel. They have a section just for knifemakers. Their web page is: www.admiralsteel.com If you look on this forum you will find a great deal about heat treating. I found it very complicated and demanding but very worth while. I started about the same way that you did and it has only been recently that I came to understand a small amount about heat treating. Why am I telling you about heat treating when you are asking about where to buy steel? Well I found that steel is very easy to come by. As you now know, you can use steel from saws and leaf springs and files. You can also develop your skills by yourself right in your shop but heat treating is something else entirely. Almost all of the books that I read about knifemaking essentially said: heat it, touch a magnet to it and quench it. That is not a good answer. Read some of the posts by Kevin Cashen. You would do best to print them out and read them carefully and in such a place as to be able to take notes and high light and underline. It is difficult stuff to read and comprehend. If you believe what has been posted on this site (and that may take some work on your part) you will come to believe that 1084 steel is a very good steel to start with and, I might add, to continue with (Admiral Steel lists it as HR 1075/1080). O1 and 1095 need more experience and equipment than the knifemaking books lead you to believe. 1084 makes a very good knife and it is cheap to buy. The fact is that 1084 will make just about the best carbon steel blade possible. A better knife IS possible but it ain't the steel it's the heat treatment. And it really ain't the heat treatment it's the KNOWLEDGE that makes better and better knives. I wish you well in your search. You really have come to the right spot. One thing though, some of these guys can be a little indelicate with your feelings. If you have come to learn and to share - welcome but gird your loins. Nicholas Jasper
 
What about something like lawn mower blades? You might be able to find some in a scrap yard or something to that effect. Sometimes people have ones don't run anymore and just put them out for the trash when they get a new one. This is of course assuming you can't find anyone in your neck of the woods that you're able to get it from. I'm assuming anything shipped from the US to there is going to be fairly pricey with the shipping cost.
 
Fletch Helical said:
What about something like lawn mower blades? .
Click to expand...

Fletch run, duck and hide man...you have no idea the can of crap you just opened.

Suffice it to say that despite what you may have heard or read, lawn mower blades can not be counted on for knifemaking.

(yes I know it's in the $50 knife shop and likely he got that from an old Machinery's handbook, but as someone here said, that chart is meant to read forwards, not backwards...)

old posts and probably the stickies are FULL of that topic..


FTO

If you can find a local machine shop, ask them who their suppliers are..

If you can find an industrial supplier of tools or fasteners (MRO) they will likely carry something.

Open the yellow pages / phone book and lookup steel - speciality

Precision ground flat bar O1, D2 and A2 as well as round bar W1 are extremely common.
 
thanks guys, there is a local supplier i can get d2 and RWL-34 for about $90/metre and $127/metre respectively. But im more talking about the kinda stuff i can pick up via charity or scrapyards. I remember back in the old days when my dad took us to the garbage disposal just for a look around, that was fun but, its no longer allowed these days.

I want to hone my skills a little more before I move onto metal that I actually paid money for.
 
so you want free steel not cheap steel well thats different sources here are good lawn mower, edger, leaf spring, file whatever has a cutting edge will probably be tough and hard enough for a knife
 
I think if I were to go this direction I would find a place that sells old tool and buy some files. I have seen them pretty cheap, $2-$5 but worthless as a file. Would make a good knife, unique features and lost of help found searching the blade forum in shaping, annel and HT.
 
gday mate, do you have carbatec in vic? They sell tool steel from memory.
Or perhaps try Bohler i think that their k245 is equivlent of 01, perhaps someone can correct me here.
 
I'm lucky enough to have a tool supplier right around the corner. The guy sells a lot of industrial tools like sanders, drill presses and a lot of different kinds of bits. He keeps a bunch of sizes of O1 in stock so I go there. I know this doesn't help much in Australia but you could look for a Machine Tool and supply store in your area. Usually about $20 for and 18 inch piece of 1/8 by 2", precision ground.
 
hi FTO
Try MSC they supply alot of machine shops and should have a branch in Australia. Not only do they carry steel they have charts showing what the steels are made of and what they would be good for.Your time is worth a good piece of steel.
 
Bohler is just 20 minutes from my house and then Carbatec is just 20 minutes from there. I might go for a bit of a look tomorrow, Carbatec seems to have a much more consumer friendly image based on their website.

my latest blade's adhesive is curing at the moment, i'll post some pics of that tomorrow.
 
cotdt said:
Railroad tracks are made out of 1080/1084 steel.
Click to expand...

I've been around the knife game a long time and have never heard this? Are you sure?

Also, the guy said stock removal. Would take some serious grinding there :eek: ;)

For cheap/free blade steel, I'd be lookin for large saw mill blades. 6" to 12"
wide bands and 2' dia and larger circle saw, the old kind without carbide teeth.
 
This is my first completed knife for those interested.
The blade is an old saw blade, the pins are stainless nails and the wood is a piece of red gum I found lying in the garden.
DSC_0006.jpg

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Im making another one of these and a different style drop point before I go and buy a piece of D2
 
really good looking knife mate :thumbup: love the red gum handles.
How you go looking for steel?

If you are looking for free or cheap wood as well, alot of places will give you offcuts for free if you call up and ask.
 
the only thing is it smells a bit like floorboards because of the varnish i used. hahaha

finances are a little lacking at the moment(parents owe me money!), so i'll be looking for some steel next week. any idea how much a place like carbatec would charge for steel? i might shoot them an email before i drive up there
 
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