What is a Good Starter Steel if I send the Blades out for HT

E

Erdbeereis

Well-Known Member
I'm looking to make some stock removal knives. What would be a good starting steel? I'm not planning on HTing my knives myself so that won't matter. I'm looking for a good steel that makes a good knife and isn't too hard to grind.

One more thing, what is a good carbon steel for kitchen knives? I was looking to make a carbon steel chef's knife and a paring knife.
 
E, have you had any practice grinding? I'd suggest buying a few feet of 1084 and practicing your grinds first and foremost. Once you're comfortable with your grinds and can repeat your results move onto something else. If you're outsourcing your heat treat, there isn't much to worry about in your steel selection other than finding what works for you. I've recently decided to work with stainless and though I'm capable of doing the HT, Peter's seemed like a better fit due to their experience and access great equipment. This has also saved the upfront cost of purchasing an oven and freed me up to play with S30V, 52100, S3V, AEB-L and the rest of the ABC's of steel without worrying whether or not it has been done correctly. Eventually I plan on cutting down to two steels (after conduction tests to see which fits my needs best, thus the need to rule out HT as variable) and investing in the equipment to do it myself.
 
Is 1095 okay for practicing? I can't find 1084 in stock and 1095 is cheaper. What do you recommend for a kitchen knife?
 
I'm a stainless man myself!
440C is inexpensive and any who do HT work can do it for you.
Stainless is a little harder to grind because the properties that make it stainless also add abrasive resistance. after you learn to grind stainless, you can grind any of the knife steels.

CPM-154, is another favorite of mine. By the way, You can make a stainless knife just as sharp as any Carbon steel, It will take a bit more work but the edge also lasts longer.

O-1 is another inexpensive carbon steel to use..

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
 
CPM154 for kitchen stuff,heck it's about the best all around steel IMO.I use it for all my knives unless some one requests another steel.
As Laurence suggested,if you don't have much experiance 1084 or 1095 is good to learn on and since you are goint to outsource H/T either one is fine.I don't care much for carbon steel in the kitchen but some folks love it.

Stan
 
Have you discovered The New Jersey Steel Baron? Aldo has a good selection of blade steel. Alpha Knife Supply seems to have a better selection geared towards the stock removal maker in that they carry thinner bars. Something like 1095 would be good to start with being that you are going to be sending it off but your choices are wide open. If you have a treater that is familiar with it, 52100 would be a good selection but then so would 440C or CPM154 and you will find more heat treaters that will treat it as most will only do air quenching steels.

Doug
 
Erdbeereis said:
I'm looking to make some stock removal knives. What would be a good starting steel? I'm not planning on HTing my knives myself so that won't matter. I'm looking for a good steel that makes a good knife and isn't too hard to grind.

One more thing, what is a good carbon steel for kitchen knives? I was looking to make a carbon steel chef's knife and a paring knife.
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If you use a carbon steel, then Peters or individual members are the only services of the commonly used ones.
If you're just sending one knife at a time, Peters minimum batch price is high if you're not spreading it over a couple dozen knives.




If you pick a stainless like 154 CM or cpm 154 you can send one at a time to Texas Knifemaker for a reasonable cost.
 
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