Simple Steels

Please note: I am located in the United States so many of my recommendations are based on that geography.

Please keep that in mind as you read through this article.

So you're getting ready to make your first knife. From one amateur to another, let's talk about steel.

I'm not going to get all sciency. There are much smarter people out there who have made a career out of research, describing, comparing, contrasting and testing countless types of "knife steel". Instead, I will take a practical and very down-to-earth approach.

Resist the temptation to just grab any shiny or rusty piece of metal

The fewer variables you introduce, the most consistent the outcome.

This undeniable truth plays out beautifully in knifemaking, especially when you are starting out.

Remove all the unknowns so that when something happens, you can learn from the experience. With that in mind, I strongly recommend avoiding things like files, leaf springs, saw blades, and the like when making your first dozen or so knives. There's no telling what they are made of and if something goes wrong, you will never really know why. It is better to have a known factor for something that makes up the majority of the knife.

Mystery steels will give you mystery results and a mystery knife
that may mysteriously not work!

Also resist the temptation just buy any "awesome knife steel"

I'll keep this simple for you. There is only one steel for the first-time knife maker: 1080

No 1095, no CPM, no stainless, no tool steel, no super steels, no patterned steel, and no weldable steel from the orange or blue home stores. Forget about all of that. 1080 is where you live. I don't care what you've read, seen, or heard or from whom. Start with 1080 and you will give yourself the best chance to succeed as a new maker.

Countless knifemakers before you have started here and it is a proven, simple, inexpensive, and widely available carbon steel. I've seen, purchased, and made knives from 1080 that are serious performers. What's more, you do not need any expensive specialized equipment to work with this steel. 1080 will give you a great platform to learn about how steel behaves and allow you to establish skills that will directly transfer to more complex materials later on. The keys here are consistency and simplicity. 1080 will help you achieve both.

The blade on this knife is 1080 steel from Admiral Steel LLC. It was heat treated in a home-make propane torch forge. Three years later, the owner tells me its still going strong.

What is 1080 steel?

Without going into the science (again not my area), 1080 steel is a metal commonly used to manufacture tools and components that have a high degree of shock resistance. Common applications include springs, tools, and knives. The key to 1080 steel is roughly 0.80% carbon in its chemical makeup. This amount of carbon in the steel allows iron carbides to form at frequencies and dimensions suitable to produce knives with formidable characteristics. Furthermore, the simple ingredients within 1080 allow for a comparably simple heat treatment procedure with good tolerance.

In short, you can get this stuff hard and sharp with simple tools, a blow torch, and a toaster oven.

A quick note: When searching around you may see other similar steels such as 1075, 1080+, and 1084. For our purposes as beginners learning to make knives for the first time, these will all work equally as well. For clarity, 1075 is slightly tougher, and 1080+/1084 offer a tiny bit more hardness but it is negligible.

OK! FINE! So where do I get some 1080?

Unfortunately, while 1080 is common it is not something you can find at most stores. You will likely need to purchase this steel online. Now the fortunate part is there are many options. My recommendation, based purely on my own experience and research, is to hop over to Alpha Knife Supply. That link should land you on the 1084 page.

To get started I would grab three 1084 carbon steel bars 0.120 in thickness at 11.6 in x 1.5 in. It's thick enough to make a solid blade and thin enough to accommodate shaping methods that use simple tools.

At the time of this writing, these billets are $8.70 each. AKS offers decent shipping as well. Those three billets plus shipping should run you about $36-39 all in. Depending on the knives you plan on making that would be enough steel for three to six knives. The longer steel billets usually result in notably higher shipping costs.

Your billets will arrive in a few days.

No sponsorships or kickbacks. I just use AKS a lot and never had a bad experience.

A couple more tips. Of course, AKS is not the only game in town, I've also purchased steel from Jantz, Admiral, USA Knife Maker, and even some domestic Amazon sellers. In my experience, AKS gives you the biggest bang for your buck if you are just picking up a few billets. Definitely shop around though as your geography may offer more options. Focus on reputable sellers who cater to knifemakers. Whomever you choose, I recommend sticking with their 1080-type steel throughout your journey as a new knifemaker to remove any variation in steel formulas.

What's next?

Now that you have your steel, its time to discuss tools and other supplies. Head over to my next article for more information.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse