Best steel sheets according to redditors

[~$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.

I would start on some tool steel blanks. Some generally like this. https://www.amazon.com/Steel-Precision-Ground-Standard-Tolerance/dp/B00CZDPAI2

Or cut up a steel circular saw blade, some things like that before you try a firearm.

https://www.amazon.com/Precision-Ground-Annealed-Thickness-Length/dp/B00CZDPAI2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1518120890&sr=8-2&keywords=o1+tool+steel+flat+stock

EDIT: If you go this route, most options are prime eligible, but make sure you check stock sizes a little bigger or smaller than your ideal size. The price can vary wildly. For example, I was buying 3/16x1x36 for $50, then found that 5/32 was $25.

Maybe some spring steel? The link below you can buy different thicknesses to suit what you need.

https://www.amazon.com/Spring-Steel-Sheet-Temper-Standard/dp/B00AM8QGNK

There are two knifemaking subreddits, /r/knifemaking and /r/Bladesmith. If you want to get him steel Amazon stock O1 tool steel which will be much nicer for him to work with than leaf springs - https://www.amazon.com/Precision-Ground-Annealed-Thickness-Length/dp/B00CZDPAI2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482297534&sr=8-1&keywords=o1+steel. If you go with that I would suggest getting 5/32 inch thickness and 1.5 or 2 inch width, and whatever length you prefer.

I tried that a while back. Don't waste your time. The steel is VERY low quality and won't harden. If you want to go a simple route, use a reciprocating saw blade. That steel is already hard. You have to be very careful shaping it not to overheat it, but you won't need to harden it after.

Using good quality steel makes a BIG difference. You can get it from McMaster Carr, or even Amazon. I found this hunk on ebay and paid 3 dollars for it.

You can buy it i would imagine but where's the fun in that.

Buy This Sheet

These Rivets

For minimal expense it can mostly be worked with hand tools.


A hacksaw, a hand file, a riveter. Drilling the hole for the rivet will require a power drill though. A hand drill would be a pain in the ass.


This is theoretical, so if anyone else has any better ideas I'd listen to them. HAHAHA.

Amazon has 01 6"x18" in either 1/8" or 1/16" for < $70

http://www.amazon.com/Steel-Precision-Ground-Standard-Tolerance/dp/B00CZDPAI2

So would this flat stock be annealed or not? Thats what i'm trying to figure out.

Amazon ships globally?

A2-

01-

Here you go!

The oven pan, the frying pan, etc. Mittens breack. The tail of the frying pan melted.

The idea of grabbing anything hot, and securely move it from one place to the next. Key word is secure.

For example I love to cook potatoes on a metal plate. I cut them into round wheels nd place them on the heated steel plate. Let them cook then serve hot or cold with onions and sunflower oil.

Use knife to turn them bad boys while holding the plate with the other hand, using pliers.

Sorry, english is not my native tongue

This things https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-84-114-Piece-6-Inch-Diagonal/dp/B0006HVU4W/ref=sr_1_4?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1541369010&sr=1-4&keywords=pliers.


Steel plate: https://www.amazon.com/Hot-Rolled-Steel-Plate-10/dp/B00YWBQ5AW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1541369144&sr=8-3&keywords=steel+plate

I cut out mine from a big sheet of steel using a grinder. Not sure about thickness tho.

Honestly, I learned the importance of pliers in the kitchen back in highschool and my burned fingers/ year dropped to 0. But, to each his oun.

http://www.amazon.com/Precision-Ground-Annealed-Thickness-Length/dp/B00CZDPAI2/ref=sr_1_fkmr3_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421860628&sr=8-1-fkmr3&keywords=starrett+o-1+tool+steel+precision+ground

Here you go sorry I'm a little new to reddit I haven't quite figured out how to post tiny links like the other guy. Also for small-med size knives basically 10 in. and under I really like 3/32 for something bigger like a chopper go 3/16-1/4 in.

Depends were you live and it may take a visit to the place to see what they really have. I found a local store that had tool steel, O1 and W2, in both round bar and flat bar for reasonable prices BUT that isn't listed on their website. They also had a bunch of small cut off pieces of various metals for art projects which was really handy as well.

I know you didn't want to buy on line but Amazon has O1 with free shipping. Might be able to get a better deal locally if you look around.

Amazon sells various types of metal plates that are precision ground. Here's aluminum in various thicknesses and square sizes. Here's steel. Pieces of thick plate glass can probably be had for pretty cheap if you have a glass shop nearby. Amazon's plate glass can be kind of expensive. If you can find someone tossing out an older 35-55gal fishtank you might be able to salvage a piece of glass from either the front or the back. Don't bother with the piece that makes the bottom as that will be tempered. Newer tanks in those sizes have thinner glass but it might still be serviceable.

Thanks! They are mahogany and the next step is to make a leather headband to hide the wires. ha ha I actually got the mesh from a mail holder that I bought from wal-mart. Cheap, but it works!

If you want something a bit more professional, amazon has perforated steel that you can buy for the grating:
http://www.amazon.com/Perforated-Unpolished-Finish-Staggered-Thickness/dp/B00CZDOR5E/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1371743761&sr=8-2&keywords=perforated+metal

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0050R25FG/ref=biss_dp_t_asn

You're going to have a bad time with that. It's already a pain filing a bevel with a file. But taking off over half the thickness of that piece could very well be past the life span of that file. Files aren't meant to hog out material like that. You're likely not going to get any hardness out of that steel you've got, it will be like a butter knife with a burr on the edge. I'd recommend getting some o1 steel off of Amazon. It's got forgiving heat treat, I've done it with canola oil, what you've got should be fine. You'll need a way to heat it until it's no longer magnetic and then quench it. This can be done with a simple coal fired forge with a hair drier or blower of some sort to get it real hot. Check this link for a good piece of stock to start with: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0050R0N4Q/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_zRa0xbS0NKQ5D

I probably suggested it. It'd be more something you'd do if you had access to a forge / crucible in a shop class / night school class sort of thing and were hardcore on the recycling process.

The steel would work, but you'd have to forge it then re-heat treat / temper / harden it, etc.

It'd be more something to do to say you've done it (if you had access to the stuff), or a sign of your enthusiasm for recycling/upcycling (to commission someone to do it for $$$).

In terms of making a new blade from new steel (as opposed to a goofy recycling project) you'd be much better off picking up some blank steel and grinding it / heat treating it.

Hart Razors uses O1 tool steel, and you can pick up a 3/16" x 1" x 18" sheet on Amazon for $27 and change. That might be a better choice.

If you click on the Hart Razors link, they describe the process that each razor goes through.