I'm looking for steel to make knives, but don't know what to get.
high carbon steel is the best for a knife
Buying good knifes now-adays is very difficult as most steel is made abroad and the quality is not the same as it used to be, British steel made in Sheffield used to rule the world but alas no more! so basically you get what you pay for, so you must be prepared to part with a substantialal amount of your hard earnt cash to get the best.
that's a hard one, right here is why. once you like a truck you do no longer want a Porche and vice versa. In different words have been one steel excels the different is unfavorable. For overallstrengthh i like 5160, for organic area retaining i like D2, O-a million and 52100 are probable the appropriate carbonsteel in area retaining. in case you like a knife with corrosion resistance then stainless is the appropriate determination. yet stainless needs to cryo dealt with to benefit the finished skill of the steel. I don'trecommendinless for any blade over 5 as a results of fact the greater desirable grain shape won't be able to take flexing and could wreck. For a heavy accountability super knife I recomend carbon steel with a differential temper as carried out good it may flex without breaking. What does all this mean? the appropriate steel is not any further effective than a decrease high quality steel if there's a deffitiancy in warmth therapy or layout. D-2 has not greater reducing potential than 440c at 57r. i do no longer use stainless in my knives as they're puzzling to warmth manage, D-2 case in point, fifty deg. in the two direction from the hardening temp (which ought to be held for minimum of 20-half-hour) can mean 2 factors Rockwell. All stainless are this type, as such maximum manufactures in no way comprehend the potetiel of the steel. right here is what i exploit, on a small knife have been i want greater effective area retaining from a greater durable temper (60r) i like O-a million, W-a million and 52100. For greater desirable knives L-6 works properly. For a survival/attempt against knife 5160 is my determination. those are not the only steels accessible, the books are full of them. solid luck.
If you are serious about making knives, I'd highly recommend visiting one of the many knifemaking forums. As usual they have good FAQs and could be good source of info, equipment and materials, let alone advices from fellow makers.
