Thanks David for the suggestions. I read and read forums trying to figure out what the best steel was...came down to 1095 and o-1 for me but, trying to find the "best steel" i soon figured out was a matter of pure opinion, so i found o-1 at Amtek and went with that. My bevels are starting to get better, now that i don't try to rush things, plus i polished with the buffer WAY to much on this one (trying to get out the scratches that i didn't take care of when i should have) and that took any since of bevels away (lesson learned). The first thing i found out when i finished the knife was that i didn't like the fit in my hand. I should have tried it out before I went any farther (again, lesson learned).
As for heat treating do you all have any suggestions on who to do it. I have read a lot of good things and will probably go with Peters heat treating, but not really sure how far to finish it before i send it off and do you do any file work (for a thumb grip) in the spine prior to or after treating.....any suggestions?
I am not personally familiar with Peters heat treating, but others endorse him so I'm sure he's fine. Delbert Ealy is a member here on KD and makes damascus with O-1. He can heat treat your blades.
If you're using a file or some grinder that's slow or not particularly powerful you will need to take it to the final size and shape before the heat treat. Maybe in the neighborhood of 220 grit, then finish it after you get it back. If you want file work anywhere on the blade you need to do it before, not after the heat treat.
I prefer O-1 for carbon steel unless I want a hamon. I've made a few blades from W2 for that specific reason. Some makers use 1095 when they want hamons. An advantage to heat treating O-1 is the relatively long time you have to get the temperature down, while 1095 gives you a couple of seconds. An advantage of 1095, 1084, and some other carbon steels is that you can heat treat it in a forge with relative ease, but O-1 requires that you hold it at the proper temp for 10-15 minutes, and that requires an oven. And while I think O-1 is the best carbon steel for knives and several people can make a good argument for it, the fact is that there are several very good steels to choose from, and some will satisfy your needs as a maker better than others.
A good rule to follow, especially at this very new phase as a knifemaker, is to never be fully satisfied with what you've done. At some point you have to accept that a particular knife has to be declared finished, but on the next one you have to remind yourself to improve. How you hold your blades while grinding, or how you hold your file or Dremel, how you hold your sanding block, how you stand or sit when doing each operation, how you place your tongue in the corner of your mouth all work to creating consistency in your work. You also have to learn how to self examine your work and to think in an analytical manner. You've mentioned that you buffed and didn't remove all the scratches first. That's what I mean.
You list Montana as home. I would recommend that you contact Ed Caffrey and enroll in his school. Ed's a very good maker and offers classes. Yeah, I'm sure it's expensive! Way back in the day I got some instruction from a couple of makers in my area, but it would have shortened the learning curve if I'd taken some classes (which no one offered then).
So post pictures of the next knife. I'm sure it's going to be a whole lot better. And ask for constructive criticism again. You'll get better that way for sure.
David