Knife Blanks?

[LYONEL]

G'day guys, I would like some advice please. I have purchased a back quiver which has a sheath mounted on it. I would like to find a good knife blank to finish to mount in it. Who makes the best quality stainless blanks in the USA ?
I have tried to trade 8 dozen Ribteks for a riser or knife with no luck so I guess it's time to try finishing one myself.

[kuch]

Jantz,Texas knifemakers supply, K&G finishing, knifekits.com

all comparable

[Bladepeek]

Shop the above list of suppliers for the type of steel and style you want. Some of them offer the same style blade in different types of steel. For a few dollars more, you can often get a premium stainless, or D-2 (technically not stainless, but very close) that will hold a superior edge. If they advertise the steel as just "stainless" or call it "400 series stainless" you don't really know what you are getting. There is a world of difference between 400A and 400C stainless. Assuming a decent heat treat of both, the 400C will hold a good edge longer. D-2 is a couple points short of enough Chromium to be classed as stainless, but it makes one heck of a good blade that won't rust while you watch it.

 ATS-34 or 154CM are pretty much the same steel and are offered by many of the suppliers. They will last though several animals before you have to touch up the edge. I once field dressed 3 wild boars in Germany with my ATS-34 blade. You could no longer shave with it, but it would still slice newspaper cleanly and took only a couple of swipes on a ceramic stick to bring the edge back.

A dirt-cheap piece of stainless will not be any better than the stainless kitchen knives you can buy for a couple of $ in the grocery store and will last about as long.

Have fun putting your knife together, but be aware it can be a progressive disease that can lead to producing your own blade from a steel bar and then, before you know it, you have a new hobby.

[LYONEL]

Thanks for your  input guys, I have looked at most of those sites mentioned but was not sure of their quality as they seem cheap to me. I have also looked at Gene Martins blanks on the net & they are 3 - 4 times the price. Would they be that much better? Or are they better quality & thicker steel?
Not another hobby my wife would kill me!

[kuch]

if you are starting out, buy cheap and learn . When you get confidence with your skill , up the price. A $20 to 25 dollar blank can make a really nice knife the is very serviceable. There is a learning curve with turning out a nice finished product.

[LYONEL]

I would normally agree with you Kuch, but living in Australia the cost of freight is the same for a cheap item as a better quality one. Some times the postage is more expensive than the item.
So quite often I will by better quality or multiple items to justify the cost of the postage.

[Bladepeek]

Originally posted by LYONEL:
I would normally agree with you Kuch, but living in Australia the cost of freight is the same for a cheap item as a better quality one. Some times the postage is more expensive than the item.
So quite often I will by better quality or multiple items to justify the cost of the postage.

Good point. Another one is that your time is not completely worthless either! Why waste your time on a piece of steel that will be mediocre even if you do everything exactly right?

These finished blades are done well enough that, if you do a half-way decent job of putting on the guard and/or handle, the knife will be something you can be proud of. If it stirs your interest and you get more deeply involved in knife making, make sure you save that first one so you can measure your progress.

Worst case, you will wind up with a serviceable knife and have some fun doing it. Best case, you might find a new interest and a life-long building of skills. Go for it!

[LYONEL]

Is there anyone that has any experience with Gene's blanks or are there any other above average blank suppliers?

[ChiefStingingArrow]

I know it is not USA made but take a look at the Helle Blanks (made in Sweden) Dryad Bows sells them. I just made a knife out of the blank....

[William McBride]

I have a blank from Gene His blanks come without an edge you'll have to do that yourself.  The other sites mentioned their blanks come with an edge just enough to cut you but not shaving sharp.

[Uncle Buck]

Helle x2. great laminated steel. You might also look around for a vintage knife with a broken handle or scales and refurbish it clean it sharpen and put a new handle on it. I enjoy doing that. Just make sure it isn't a rare collectible before you start to work on it.