some good information here. the only thing i didn't see about choosing a blade steel to make knives with is wether you planned on heat treating the steel yourself or have someone else do it. If you plan on heat treating it yourself and don't have a good oven yet then stay away from stainless. Carbon steel can be heat treated at home with very little money compared to stainless if your not going to go buy salt pots, or ln dewer's. If you want to quench in oil and do it the old fasioned way carbon would be the way to go. Then you have to figure in your wallet and see what's in your budget for steel types realizing that the more exotic alloys cost more, not just in intial cost, but also in belts and other equipment to work it. Even if you don't have a good oven yet you can still work the stainless and send it off to be heat treated by people like paul boss, until you get your own oven.
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