Reddit reviews O1 Tool Steel Sheet, Precision Ground, Annealed, 1/8" Thickness, 2" Width, 18" Length
We found 3 Reddit comments about O1 Tool Steel Sheet, Precision Ground, Annealed, 1/8" Thickness, 2" Width, 18" Length. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
O1 tool steel has better machinability than A2 tool steel, and must be hardened in oilMeets ASTM A681 specificationsGround with high precision to the specified shape and sizeStandard tolerance
[~$20 for the steel; 1/8"x2"x 18"](
http://amzn.com/B000FMYFVI)
Everything for the jig ~$40; I bought two files and rod for the files. I am going to rebuild it with wood-plastic composite.
Micarta- ~$10 for the resin, and 5 minutes of convincing my SO to let me cut up one of her blur shirts :)
Forge ~$80 because of the MAP gas torch.
Easiest way? check out aaron gough's videos on the filing jig. You can make really good knives with real steel and some files and a jig. Take it slow and you won't mess it up. Get some o1 steel, you can even get it from amazon, and it will make a good knife.
Easiest way to heat treat? Peters heat treat, 30 bucks. If only making a few knives, this is actually cheaper than anything you can do, and you will have a good heat treat, unlike what you will probably manage with coal/wood. Doing it yourself, even using the two brick forge, you will probably screw up a few knives and lose them completely.
http://www.petersheattreat.com/blades/pricing/
edit:
amazon o1 steel: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FMYFVI
30 bucks, enough to makes 2 or 3 knives. A lot of the videos on amazon people are making knives from junk steel, quite literally. Rebar doesn't have enough carbon content, etc.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000FMYFVI/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1450143196&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=o1+tool+steel&dpPl=1&dpID=31xGT3DXKzL&ref=plSrch
This is where I've gotten my o1 for a long time. Look through the many different size combinations, you'll often find nonsensically cheap steel at certain dimensions. I recommend 1/8 thickness.