Wonna be knifemaker

RodneyJ

RodneyJ

Well-Known Member
Hello everyone I'm Rodney I found this forum while searching for info on google. I have only made one knife so far. It was made out of an old file I had. It came out ok but not what I had thouhgt it would be. I am currently working on my secound I'm using some 440C I picked up at TKS. I must say that the file was a lot easier to work than the 440 but I think it will be nice once im done. What type of steel do ya'll suggest for a newbie wonna be maker
 
I humbly suggest picking your steel based on the performance you want. Your question is really hard to answer without knowing what kind of knife you want to make.
 
I am making skinning knives for me and a couple of my hunting buddies I am wanting to make a knife that will hold a sharp edege for skinning a deer currently I start the task with a couple of sharp knives and by the time the job is completed the edege on all of them are dull just want better performance out of the blade
 
440C will make an excellent skinner provided it is properly heat treated and it is relatively easy to work. I think it is a good steel for stock removers and I use it a lot.
 
I made my first three knives from 440C, D2, and A2. I really had no problem working with any of those steels. The D2 holds the best edge and sharpens fairly quickly on my paper wheel system. I think any of the 3 would make a great skinning knife.
 
Hi Rodney!! You may want to check out the New To Knifemaking section, and the Tutorials of All Kinds section. Plus if you have any questions feel free to ask. There are makers of all levels of experience here, From Master Makers to other Newbies like myself. One word of warning though, making knives can be addictive!!:D hi there 1
 
Thanks everyone for the welcome and the info. I will check out the tutorials and new to knife making sections for sure. look forward to learning and seeing otuer peoples work
 
Welcome to the Pack Rodney. I'm a fairly newbie as well and I will say what has been told to me, your choice of steel all depends on your intended purpose and your means. If you are wanting to do it all yourself (grinding, heat treat, and finish) a carbon steel like 1084 or 5160 might be your best choice. If you are planning to have a professional do your heat treat (highly recommended if you want it to be right the first time), then the sky is the limit for your steel choices.

I have yet to work with any of the stainless steels, but have purchased a nice bar of ATS-34 that I'll start working on soon. I will deffinitely be sending these to someone knowledgeable for HT.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top