Knife blanks for newbies

ryan

Member
For someone who is just starting out and is not set up for any kind of heat treating annealling or forging, where is there a place to get "ready to go" knife blanks.
 
If you are wanting finished blades to put guards and handles on, several places have them. Knife kits,Jantz,Knife and Gun Supply, and Texas Knifemakers all offer finished blades.
 
Google is your friend! There are many places online that sell finished, heat-treated knife blanks that are ready for you to put handles on. That's how I got started. Texas Knifemaker Supply is where I got mine. There are many others, so shop around.
 
Thanks guys, what I want to do is just put my own handles and edges on the blades. P.S. I am looking for good kitchen blades perferably SS.
 
All of the places Mike listed carry exactly what you're talking about, including handle materials and whatnot 2thumbs. There are lots of options available for good stainless steel kitchen knife blades. Be careful, you might get addicted!! :D

Here's some links:
TKS
KnifeKits
Knife and Gun Supply

Often, these companies are retailing the same blades made in the same factory, so shop around for the best price and shipping rates. If the blade you want is available with cryo treatment for a couple extra bucks, go for it. cryo makes the steel tougher and keep an edge longer.
 
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Ryan, any of the above knife supply houses offer completed blades. However, a large portion of them are AUS 6 stainless which IMO is not a very good steel. AUS 8 is a lot better and 440C is probably the best stainless you'll find. If you want to use the knives you finish I highly recommend paying extra for the 440C blades.
 
Denton is 100% right. AUS 6 I wouldn't bother with, AUS 8 is OK, but 440c is the best among them, and likely the best stainless steel you'll find in a factory-made blank. It will usually only be a few bucks more for a 440c blade, and worth every penny. It will take a finer edge and keep it much longer. It will be just as corrosion resistant, probably even more so. There are still custom makers who use 440c, it's not the newest "super steel" but it's good stuff.

If the ad only says it's "stainless" but doesn't specify the grade, it's junk! Any maker or manu who spends the extra money to use quality steel will be proud to tell you exactly what it is. Even if it just says 440, it's junk. 440c is the high-carbon version, which makes very good blades... if they call it 440(no letter) it's probably 440a or 440b which are not nearly as good for knives.

The reason factories often use lower grades of stainless is that it's cheaper to begin with, and significantly easier to stamp/grind etc. When you're making 1000's of blades at a time, this saves barrels of cash in terms of time and wear-tear on the machinery. Unfortunately this results in a blade that doesn't hold an edge nearly as well as it would if it was made from high-grade, high-carbon stainless.
 
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