Want To Try KnifeBuilding....Where to Get the Steel??

[Nala]

Hey all,

After seeing all of these great looking knives several of you have made I thought I might want to give it a try.  Besides, I think I can get my hunting buddy and his son to do it with me.  The thing I am wondering about is where to get the steel to start with.

I have seen some posts where the knives were made using old files and saw blades.  I don't have either of those.  If the knife you want to make is pretty big, or at least wide, it seems it would be hard finding an old file or saw blade that would work.  So where would you get the steel to start your knife project with?

There is a steel supply company close by and I am sure I could drop by and get a 12"x3"x1/4" piece cut for me, but I wouldn't know what kind of steel to ask for or look for.  Would it be a good idea to go and buy something like that for a knife project?

If you all can give me some ideas as to where to find the steel, I would appreciate it.

Thanks for the help and time.

Nala

[Jason Lester]

Here is a suggestion. Probably not the best steel but why not head to Home Depot or Lowes and pick up a peice in whatever thickness and width you want (remeber you'll have to grind or sand the finish so remember that when picking your thickness.)

I have made several from this steel and it is supprizingly decent. It takes and edge ok and seems to keep it. I think how you work it matters alot in that aspect though.

Now once you get better you may consider better steel but for a few dollars you can make a bunch of practice ones.


Just a thought. Good luck.

[Jason Lester]

I just re-read. 1/4 inch may be a bit thick. Someone should be along to answer the other stuff but I'd measure some of the knives you have you like to see about thickness.

1/4 Inch would be alot of grinding I think.

[Jeremy]

I'd avoid the steel from Home Depot or Lowes.  It's a low carbon steel and you're going to go through the the trouble of making a knife you might as well do it with decent steel.  Just my opinion.

You can get 1095 or 1075 from Jantz or Texas Knife Supply for only a little more than the stuff at Lowes and it works extremely well.

If you're not planning on doing any forging, just grinding, I wouldn't get anything much over 1/8" thick.  It'd take a whole lot of grinding to get 1/4" steel down to size!

There are lots of guys on this board that will be more than happy to help you out when you get to the "what do I do next" point (me included)!  Just drop one - or all - of us an email or PM.  No need to be turning Tradgang into a Knifemaking forum, right Terry ?        

There are also lots of online tutorials that'll help
  Knife Network

[Tom Leemans]

I think I'm going to make a drop point from a circular saw blade. Go to the How-To section to see a build-a-long. That's where I got the idea.

[Dallas]

Try Enco, they have O1 at a fairly reasonable price.  The other source to consider is Jantz supply.  They have carbon steel and stainless.  Of course, both would need to be heat treated.

[Nala]

Thanks for the advice so far.  I agree with you all about the 1/4" thickness.  I don't know where I got that from.  I guess that's why I am asking these questions.

I'm off to do some reading.

Nala

[Rick McGowan]

01 or A2 are popular knifemaking steels, I usually use D2, but it is harder to work with. The steel from most places is low carbon steel and can't be hardened properly for a knife. I've bought most of my stuff from Texas Knifemaker Supply, they also can do the heat treating for you after you have the blade cut and ground to what you want. You can use things like files and saw blades, BUT they are already hardened, so you either have to work with them that way or draw the temper and then reheat treat them later, which is an iffy thing, since you don't know what kind of steel they were to start with!

[LAR43]

Do yourself a big favor & pick up a copy of Wayne Goddard's "The $50. Knife shop" . It gives you real straight forward info on how to get started knife making at an entry level, & it cuts down on the frustration of getting the answers for a lot of the questions you're gonna have as you go along.

Look up the title on Amazon. They sell them new & used. IMO the best 20. you'll ever spend.

Larry

[2 dogs]

www.admiral  steel.com

[Stonedog]

www.toolanddie.com

I build a few knive a year.....get their 01 tool steel in whatever thickness, length and width you want....

Awesome stuff and 01 you can oil quench and temper in your home oven.....

Get Goddard's book.....best one there is!

Here is an Anglo-Saxon 9th Century Seax I just made from 01:
  http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b35/Stonedog_1975/000_0023.jpg  

Caribou antler slabs to boot!

I am fixin' to buy a 36" piece of 01 to make myself a mid 14th C English knife for my poacher persona.....

[hickstick]

Amen to all said above.   except that I got a truckload of O1:

 

 

I might be convinced to send ya a couple chunks    

shoot me another PM

[leon]

Nala,If you want to try saw blade steel,I have a peice you can have.Send me an adress,Leon

[Jeremy]

Hick, bother, you and me seriously need to get together one of these days!  That's a nice pile of O1!

O1 is a real nice blade steel.  It's very dimensionally stable during quenching (ie resists warping) but it's more than double the cost of 1075 or 1095.  For those just starting out you may want to go with a less expensive steel.

1095 makes a great blade, but you really have to be careful not to overheat the blade when hardening.  Overheat a little bit and CRACK!  Underheat it a little and it won't harden properly.

1075 is a great compromise: it's inexpensive, readily available, not as sensitive during the heat treat and has enough carbon to it that it'll take a keen edge and hold it well.

Want to go cheaper still: try OCS steel.    The vast majority of it is 5160 (a great blade steel) and all you need to do is go to the junk yard (or your back yard   ) and pull it off the car.

[uhdet]

2 dogs said it best. Admiral Steel. Get some 1084 and you will be set. 1.5"x3/16" thick. Heat treats well. Good edge. Easy stuff. Good price too. Heat cherry red and non magnetic. Dunk it in some warm cornola oil and put in a oven at 450 for 2 hours. I have never had one break yet. Razor sharp edge. Just make sure you have your pin holes drilled and scratches removed before you heat treat.

[hickstick]

jeremy...got it for a buck a pound.  

unfortunately since I got it I haven't touched my forge.  still have these to finish up...

 

they've been sitting on a shelf since june     :(

let me know when you wanna head out and I'll throw some in the truck.