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My Favourite Knife Steel

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There is no better way to start a riot in the knifemaker and knife collector community than to discuss steel types. One person’s favourite steel will be considered a terrible choice in someone else’s view. They say that opinions are like arseholes, everyone has one. Well, welcome to mine!

This is a list of the current knife making steels that I use to make my blades.

Carbon Steels

For the first 6 years of knife making I only ever made knives from 2 different sheets of steel. And for the first 4 of them, I only ever used O1 tool steel. So let us start there.

O1 Tool Steel

O1 is also known as Ground Flat Stock or Gauge Plate Steel.

For years and years, O1 was the go-to steel for an awful lot of knife makers. It was the steel that was recommended to anyone who wanted to dabble in knife making, and it was made popular in the bushcraft community by Ray Mears with his Alan Wood Woodlore bushcraft knife.

This is a picture of one of the bushcraft knives I used to make from O1 tool steel.

My Bushcrafter model knife

On all the knife forums 10 years ago O1 was labelled as an easy to use, easy to heat treat and easy to maintain steel. The best steel for beginners and established makers alike. It gained a lot of popularity because of this and was sometimes hated in equal measures. I think that part of this was born from the fact that at the time it was one of the only steels you could easily purchase for making knives in the UK. There simply wasn’t the variety we have at our fingertips these days, so O1 became the go-to steel for pretty much everyone.

O1 is relatively forgiving for someone wanting to heat treat themselves at home, and sure my first knives were made under the adage of heat until non-magnetic and quenched in rapeseed oil. Then temper to a straw colour. However, over the years I did many tests with O1 steel and being able to maintain a consistent temperature, soaking the steel at this temperature and quenching in specialist steel quench oil makes for a much better blade.

I have found the sweet spot to be 58/59 on the Rockwell scale, and O1 knives of this hardness produce a keen edge that can be kept sharp easily. It isn’t the toughest of steels and the edge dulls quicker in use than other steels however, this drop in toughness does make it easy to re-sharpen. Again, I think that this is one of the reasons that it has gained popularity in the bushcraft world as an O1 knife is easy to maintain in the field.

80crv2

So this is my favourite carbon steel. When I first used it I thought it was like O1 on steroids. It has a much higher toughness than O1 steel with great edge retention. This does mean that it is slightly tougher to sharpen, but the edge itself is easy to maintain. What I mean by that, is that if the edge is looked after during use it will remain sharp. Stropping during use will quickly bring the that keen edge back to life and you won’t have to take it to the stones.

It is now my go-to carbon steel for outdoors knives, hunting knives, camp knives and EDC knives. I love being able to draw out the temper of the spine (known as a differential heat treat) which makes for a very forgiving tool when in hard use.

My camp knife in 80crv2 with a differential heat treat

80crv2 steel camp knife

I have found the sweet spot for 80crv2 to be around 59/60 on the Rockwell hardness scale. This produces a very tough blade that doesn’t chip or dull easily in hard use, has great edge retention yet with a little practice remains easy to sharpen and maintain in the field.

I also use it for a lot of chef knives as the steel can be ground to a very thin edge whilst maintaining high Rockwell hardness. As you can see 80crv2 is brilliant all-round steel, made even better by the variety of thicknesses that this steel is available in.

1.2419

This steel has only been in my repertoire for the past 18 months, but I brought it in to do some testing for my range of kitchen knives. I found during my initial testing that this steel could produce a very fine yet stable edge which was just what I was looking for in my kitchen blades.

I have found 1.2419 steel to be slightly less tough than 80crv2 which makes it easier to sharpen. This for me is a big win for the home chef who may not be quite so skilled at maintaining and sharpening a blade.

My K-Tip chef knife is in 1.2419 carbon steel.

1.2419 steel kitchen knife

I have found my sweet spot for this steel to be around 61/62 on the Rockwell hardness scale at which it produces a hard stable edge that sharpens easily. It can be maintained with a steel or ceramic rod with ease. I have had great feedback from both professional chefs and home cooks on knives made from this steel.

Unfortunately, 1.2419 steel has stopped being supplied by GFS Knife Supplies I generally use for my knife making steel, and I haven’t yet been able to find an alternative supplier. I do still have some in stock, so if you do want a knife made from 1.2419 get in touch with me quickly.

26c3 – Spicy White

I have been so impressed with this steel. I’ve only been using it for about the past 6 months but in that short time trialling it, I have been blown away. It is very clean steel that has a very fine grain structure. Because of this, it takes a super fine edge which is fantastic for kitchen cutlery.

This steel is capable of getting very hard, it was originally designed for razor blades, which translates well to kitchen knives where you are looking for a thin blade with a fine edge geometry. On quenching the steel it is registering in the high 60s on the Rockwell Hardness Scale.

This steel also takes a brilliant Hamon. This is the wavy line that you can see on the blade in the picture above. The spine of the knife has clay applied before heat treatment which allows for differential heat treatment. The spine cools slower than the edge and doesn’t harden. This leaves a hard edge and a soft spine. Excellent for swords or camp knives, not so much needed in kitchen knives but it looks freaking cool!

I have found the sweet spot on the Rockwell Hardness Scale to be around 63 in this steel. Although this steel gets very hard, it is not as wear-resistant in comparison which allows it to be sharpened with relative ease.

Stainless Steel

Purchasing an Evenheat oven from Multitool Europe last year opened up a whole new world for me, and has allowed me to start heat treating stainless steel. Below is a guide to the steels I use.

N690

This was the first steel I played with and tested when I bought my heat treatment oven. I can honestly say that I have used and abused this steel and have been impressed with the results.

This steel takes a keen edge and keeps it. I like to temper this steel to 58 on the Rockwell scale which I have found to give a good trade between hardness and toughness. I have abused knives at this hardness in the garden and woods and have never had issues with edge damage or even the real need to re-sharpen.

This knife below is made from N690 steel, easily chopped up a pineapple, cut open a coconut and then was still able to slice paper.

A heavily sculpted knife handle

Of the stainless steel, this is one of the easier to sharpen, but if you are only used to sharpening carbon steel then you may find it a little more hard work.

Niolox

Niolox is niobium-alloyed steel, and it is the addition of niobium that forms hard carbides in the steel. This makes Niolox very wear-resistant. It makes it grinder resistant! This steel is hard to work and to grind, and this is reflected in the price when buying a knife with a Niolox blade. However, a Niolox blade when sharp stays sharp. It takes an amazing edge that really in general daily use will only ever need to be stropped to bring it back to a razor edge.

In the same way that these carbides give the steel excellent wear-resistant properties, it also reduces the toughness. In hard use, the steel can be prone to microchipping, and I would not suggest using knives of this steel as a crowbar ( I wouldn’t suggest using any knife as a crowbar though). “Reduces” is the operative word here though, Niolox is still very tough steel.

I love using this steel on my friction folders as for general day to day tasks this knife will remain sharp pretty much forever.

This photo is of my Goliath friction folder in Niolox steel.

Goliath Friction Folder

The sweet spot I like for this steel is 60 on the Rockwell hardness scale.

AEB-L

I’ve been using this steel for a couple of years now. Originally brought in to offer a stainless steel option to my kitchen knife range, but actually, my tests so far have proven that it will be an excellent all-around steel. It seems to tick so many boxes it almost seems unreal. Following lots of testing, I now offer this steel for many of my models, including my bushcraft knife. It is a very popular option for people who will be exploring wet environments where a typical carbon steel knife would have issues with dampness and humidity. AEB-L offers the bushcrafter or explorer a knife that they do not need to be concerned about it rusting or tarnishing in these conditions.

The steel is tough and takes a keen edge. The steel holds an edge well and it sharpens with relative ease. All of this will contribute to making an excellent professional chef knife in stainless steel.

For what treatment of AEB-L I have found 61 on the Rockwell scale to be the best Rockwell hardness for kitchen knives, customer feedback is that it holds a great edge, does not chip out easily and is easy to maintain sharpness.

Fancy Steels

Damascus

Damascus, or pattern welded steel as it should be called is where 2 different types of steel, one with a high nickel content are forge-welded together. The layers of steel are built up by forging out the billet of steel, cutting them up into smaller pieces and sticking them on top of each other and forge-welded together again. This process can be repeated many times to increase the layer count. Many different processes can be completed during the forging process to create different patterns such as twisting the steel, carving or drilling out sections to create a ladder or raindrop pattern. It is beautiful, but you do need to be careful of where you buy your steel or your Damascus knives.
If buying pattern-welded steel billets, or Damascus knives check with the maker or seller where the steel came from. There is a lot of this steel made in Asia that looks good on the outside but isn’t quite what it makes itself out to be. Much of this steel is made from unknown steel, much of it is mild steel that cannot be hardened, and when worked it is often filled with flaws such as unwelded areas leaving gaping holes and cracks in your knife. The price should put you off. If you’re being offered a billed of steel for £20 run away, a decent billet of steel will cost easily over £100 before you have done anything to it. Expensive, but you get what you pay for.
There are many reputable makers of pattern-welded steel, so do your research. I only use steel from reputable makers who stand by their steel, which allows me to stand behind the quality of my knives.

Damascus or pattern welded steel

This steel looks amazing, it makes your knives stand out and offers a great talking point. You can pair up your handle material to complement this steel as well. I offer this option on all of my knives.

San Mai

San Mai is another aesthetically pleasing steel to look at and is one of my favourite knifemaking steels. Historically it was used to allow for the best use of valuable high carbon steel. San Mai can be thought of as a steel sandwich. Soft outer steel such as wrought iron is the outer cladding or the bread and the high carbon steel is the middle piece of steel or the tasty filling. Back when making high carbon steel was incredibly hard work this was a way of making a smaller piece of steel go further, and not wasting that valuable high carbon steel in places it wasn’t needed. Today I use it because it looks cool!

Again, I only ever use San Mai from reputable makers. When etched the high carbon steel goes almost black with the outer jacket a much lighter grey. If wrought iron is used this reveals the grainy, almost wood-like patterns in the steel. it makes for a very sexy kitchen knife.

A san mai blade

Check out my available knives section to see what I am currently making, and in what steel types!

How to choose a custom knife maker

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So you want to get a knife made, but you’ve never done this before. It can be a daunting task trying to find a custom knife maker to bring your ideas to reality. So where do you start?

Well, it’s a really good idea to start with yourself. Make sure you have a good idea of what you want. Make yourself a list of things you like in custom knives and you will set yourself on the right path. You may also want to make a sketch of your knife that you can give to your chosen maker. Make sure to set yourself a budget at this point too.

This photo shows a deer stalking knife I made, sitting next to a drawing made by the customer.

I was picked as a custom knife maker to make this Deer stalking knife

Now you need to find yourself a maker who makes the style of knife you are after. It will be no good contacting a maker of frame-lock folding knives when you want a kitchen knife made.

This photo shows a custom kitchen knife made to the customer’s specification, including a stabilised birch handle.

Kitchen Knife

Instagram is a great place to get inspiration and find makers. Using the search function look for hashtags that relate to the style of knife you are after and scroll through the pictures. You may have to comment on people’s posts to ask who the makers are, but people will point you in the right direction. Also simple Google image searches will provide you with a wealth of inspiration, but with both of these be prepared to go down the rabbit hole. Refer back to that list you made earlier. Have you gone off on a tangent from what you want, or has what you want to be changed? This is also the time to remember your budget. There is no point in looking at £5000 custom knives when your budget is £350.

So you have now found a few makers that you like what you have seen. It is time to get in contact with them. Be polite, and ask a few direct questions that will help set the tone of how you would like to work together. You don’t need to ask every question you have at this stage, as you need to establish if you are going to be able to get on the maker’s books first. I would suggest something like this.

Contact Questions

Hi Matt. I like your Goliath Friction Folder, and was wondering if your books were open for custom orders at the moment? If so, can you let me know long the wait is, and a rough idea of the cost? Many thanks, Bob.

From this, the maker knows what model you are after and that you are looking at getting a slot in his book. From this, you could get several different replies.

Reply 1

Hi Bob, thanks for contacting me. Yes, my books are open at the moment, and you are looking at delivery of a knife in 2 months if you secure a slot now. The Goliath starts at £150 including insured delivery in the UK but will depend on handle materials used.
Speak soon
Matt

Reply 2

Hi Bob. Unfortunately, my books are closed at the moment. I hope to open up some new slots in about 6 months. I would be happy to talk about a custom order then if you are still interested.
Take care
Matt

Reply 3

Yup, what are you after?

So we have three very different replies here. In reply 1 you know exactly where you stand. With reply 1 you may decide that you don’t want to wait 2 months and thank the maker but move on to another on your list. Or you may decide that you are more than happy with the wait. This is where you can start asking more detailed questions. What handle materials do you offer, can you make a sheath for it, can you do different grinds etc… This is where a relationship is built between the customer and maker.

With reply 2, again you know exactly where you stand. Thank the maker for getting back to you and deciding if you want to try again in 6 months, or move on to contacting another maker.

Reply 3 is a little different. This short reply may put you off, as it hasn’t completely answered your question. It has however let you know that they are open to taking on orders. If you pursue this is totally up to you.

It is worth remembering that the time a maker spends replying to messages is time they are not making knives. So don’t get grumpy if you don’t receive a reply 10 minutes after you have sent a message. It may be in the evening or first thing in the morning that the maker replies. It may be that they set aside time once per week to respond to messages. If you haven’t heard it in a week it is fair to give a polite chase and ask if your earlier message got missed.

So good luck with commissioning your first knife. Why not check out my work whilst you are here?

You can always contact me to see about having a commission made.

Bolts, Pins and Fasteners

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There are many ways of securing the handle of your knife to the blade itself. Some like Corby pins provide a mechanical fit, others rely on the strength of the glue used to bond the handle to the tang of the knife with the pin providing anchor points. Some are plain, others go bling! Let us take a look at what options you have when choosing a custom knife.

Loveless Bolts

These bolts were designed and used by Bob Loveless on his knives and have proven to be a very popular choice with makers all over the world. These bolts give a mechanical fit by the bolt passing through the handle and then being screwed up tight.

A step drill is used when drilling the handle with the bolt passing through the small hole created in the handle and tang, and then the larger circular nut sitting in the larger step created.

Loveless bolts with a step drill

This means that when screwed together it pulls the handle securely to the tang of the knife. Used alongside a good quality epoxy glue this makes for a very secure handle.

Some makers and collectors however do not like using loveless fasteners due to the bird’s eye effect created when you sand the bolt flat. This is created when you expose a small area of thread between the nut and bolt which leaves a small semicircle on the pin.

Loveless bolt in a bushcraft knife handle

Loveless bolts are often used on Bushcraft knives and come in three different materials. Stainless steel, copper and brass. You can mix and match materials to give a different look such as a stainless steel bolt with a brass nut.

Loveless Bolts in different metals

Corby Pins

Corby pins, also known as Corby bolts or Bull bolts provide a mechanical fit in the same way as Loveless bolts, securely pulling your knife scales together. This time you have a male and a female bolt that screw together. Each side has a slot so you can tighten it with a screwdriver.

Corby bolts

Like loveless bolts, a step drill is used when drilling the handle materials.

Corby pin step drill

This time when sanding your knife scales the slot that you used to tighten is removed leaving what looks like a solid pin but has the benefits of the mechanical fit.

I favour Corby pins for all my kitchen knives for the solid construction they give, and the smart polished look they create when sanded flat.

Solid Pins

Solid pins do not provide a mechanical fit due to them being a uniform size, so when using them it is important to key them with sandpaper to create additional surface area for the glue to bond with. The benefit of solid pin stock is the sheer choice you have available. From the standard stainless steel, brass and copper you also have carbon fibre, micarta and resin pins. These can be made in a multitude of different colours and even made to glow in the dark!!

Different types of solid pin material

Mosaic Pins

Again this is a solid pin, so no mechanical fit. It starts as a tube, and different combinations of smaller pins are carefully placed within the tube. Once the desired pattern is achieved the tube is filled with a resin to create a solid pin. The resin is often dyed a nice bright colour.

A brass mosaic pin with blue infill

These pins add to the aesthetics of the knife if done well. As a maker check the placement when glueing up to ensure that all pins are sitting in the same orientation, rotating the pins to ensure that they all match. Pins that are set at different angles to me looks horrible. As a buyer, make sure that the maker has taken the time to do this as it shows good attention to detail.

Want something else to read? Why not check out the 5 cheap workshop tools I wouldn’t be without!

5 Simple Workshop Tools I wouldn’t be without

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This is a brief guide to the top 5 simple tools used in my knife making workshop.

Digital Calipers

I cannot count how many times a day I use these. From checking the thickness of pin stock and drill bits. You do not want to drill your holes too big or small for your desired pin material. I check and re-check again before drilling any holes

Digital calipers

I also use them to check the thickness of blade stock. It isn’t always quite the same thickness as listed on the packaging!

I use them to check handle material. When glueing up my G10 liners I have to make sure that the scale material is flat. However, you also need to ensure that it is level to ensure straight holes when drilling. This isn’t normally a problem with man-made materials such as micarta and G10, but when you have ripped a set of scales off of a gnarly piece of wood you need to ensure that it is flat and level, so out come the callipers.

Using calipers to check the thickness of a wood block

Height Scribe

Does what it says on the tin. I always scribe guidelines on what will be the cutting edge of my blades. This gives me something to aim for when removing the steel and creating the bevels. The scribe I use is made by a great UK maker called Mike Palmer. He makes all manner of useful things for the knife maker, a real asset to the UK knife maker community, and makes a variety of workshop tools.

Centre scribe tool

Thin Tip Permanent Marker

Such a useful tool in the workshop. I draw around my blade on the scale material so I know where I can cut off the excess. I mark how I want the front of the scales to look.

When making friction folders I can mark the small area where I need to remove tiny amounts of steel to ensure that the blade opens and closes in the correct position.

I use it to draw a guide as to where I want to place my makers mark logo on the blade.

I also use it to write what steel each blade is after cutting out and after heat treatment. This way I always know what steel I am using for each build. Also, any steel that is leftover and goes back onto the shelf gets its name written on it.

Knife blanks with their steel type written on them

Clamps

No matter how many clamps I have, it is never enough. I have over 20 spring hand clamps that I use for gluing G10 liners to handle materials. They are also used in the final glue up of the handles to the knives.

Clamps used for knife making

I have screw G clamps that I use to clamp knives in the glue up. They are also used to secure my portaband metal band saw to my workbench.

Portaband saw clamped to workbench

I use speed clamps for my Kydex press. When making Kydex sheaths you need to clamp your press quickly whilst the Kydex is still hot and malleable. These pump clamps have proven to be invaluable as a custom Kydex sheath maker.

Cotton Buds

Can cotton buds be classed as workshop tools? Well in the way I use them I think they are. They are great for cleaning up the front of the scales when you glue the knife up.

Using a cotton bud to clean up glue on a knife

They are also great for cleaning up lanyard tubes from the dust and detritus that gets stuck in them.

They are also used for electro etching my logo. I made myself an electro etcher for saltwater etching blades, and it is the cotton bud that I dip into the saltwater when etching.

Using a cotton bud to etch my makers mark

See just how useful they are, I always have a tub of them in the workshop.

Want to have a go at making your own knife? Why not read this blog post?

What is a Friction Folder?

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Are you asking yourself what is a friction folder knife? Or how does a friction folder knife work? Then you have come to the right place.

A friction folder is a non-locking folding knife that is held open or closed by friction alone. This is the reason that UK friction folders are so popular due to our restrictive knife laws. In the UK you can only carry without reason a knife that has a folding blade 3 inches long (7.62 cm) or less. This blade must also be non-locking making the friction folder an ideal candidate for a UK legal pocket knife.

The other knife you may like to consider would be a slip joint. These knives use a compression back spring to hold the blade in the open and closed position but never locks, so again as long as the blade is 3″ or less in length this makes it EDC (Everyday Carry) friendly.

A friction folder has an exposed tang when closed. It is this tang that provides friction against the handle when the blade is in the open position. Many friction folders have longer tangs to aid security when the blade is in the open position. Some even have a bottle opener built into the tang, but I don’t think you should be opening a beer with a knife, I think you should be opening it with a bottle opener.

My standard friction folder

This is my standard model friction folder with the blade partially open showing the tang of the knife.

Goliath Friction Folder

This large friction folder is my Goliath model. A chunky design, but still with an EDC legal blade

The spine of a Goliath friction folder showing the bright back spacer

And this shot shows the tang secured in the handle when the blade is in the open position.

The friction folder mechanism consists of a pivot on which the blade rotates upon. Next to this is a stop pin. The blade is then carefully shaped to stop the blade in exactly the correct position in both the open and closed position

This isn’t a heavy-duty or heavy use knife. They excel at light cutting duties. They are the perfect pocket knife making light work of opening boxes, cutting string and packaging materials or prepping your lunch on a picnic. They won’t excel at batoning wood or any jobs where you want a secure blade with the knife only being held open or closed due to friction.

What is quite amazing though is that the first-ever folding knife was a Roman Friction Folder made around 500 BC!

I love making these knives. Not only are they fun to make they allow everyday people to legally carry a knife for the day to day tasks needed without worry. With the vast range of handle material at my disposal, I have made some truly beautiful and unique knives.

I often have a friction folder for sale on my Available Knives page, and you can learn about the models I offer here.

If you would like a custom friction folder head over to my contact page where we can discuss your requirements.

How to make your first knife Part 3

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So now to shape your handle

This for me is the really fun part, this brings your knife to life. I now use my grinder to shape my handles to more or less their final size, and hand sand them to remove all scratches ensuring both sides are even. However, in the early days, I did this with rasps, files and sandpaper. The results can be the same, it just takes longer.

To do this you are going to need to clamp the knife by its blade to something to secure it. Before you clamp it, make sure to wrap the blade in layers of masking tape to protect the blade from being scratched. Then use something soft on either side of the blade and the clamp. This could be some leather from an old belt or some rubber matting for example.

Knife blade wrapped in masking tape
knife clamped between rubber in the vice

First remove the material from all around the tang of the knife, down to the metal. Go easy as you approach the tang, and in the final stages move to sandpaper rather than a rasp or file so you don’t get any deep scratches. Once you have this shape you can begin to visualise how your knife will look. Do you want a handle that is of the same profile the whole length of the handle? Do you want the coke bottle profile? Do you want a flared butt such as that of a parang? Have this picture in your mind before you start.

Go slowly with your rasps removing material from both sides. From time to time take your knife out of the clamp and test it in your hands to see how it is beginning to feel. Once the bulk of the material has been removed move to a finer cut file to remove the deep scratches. From this move to sandpaper. Cut strips no more than an inch wide and hold each end of the strip pulling this back and forth over the length of the handle to remove the previous grit scratch pattern. I would recommend starting at 120g, then 240g, 320g and then 400g. Sticking duck tape to the back of your sandpaper sheets before cutting your strips will also stop them from tearing when you are using them.

Sand paper with gaffa tape

Once you have finished it is time to add your final edge. Do this with bench stones, sandpaper clamped to a flat board or your favourite sharpening method. And finally, apply a coat of oil to the handle. This brings out the life of the materials you have used.

Make sure you use your knife, only through use will you find out what in your design is good, and what needs to change.