When making your own knife, you must first select the essential steel material that will be the blade. Each steel has its own characteristics, so if you don’t choose the one that suits your needs, you won’t be able to custom the best knife for you. This time, we will thoroughly explain the characteristics of steel materials and how to select them!
What is the steel material of a self-made knife?
Steel material for blades!
The steel materials used for knives are not ordinary steel materials, but many steel materials for blades that have a hard and sharp blade by heat treatment. There are many types of steel materials for blades, and you can custom a knife that is comfortable to use by using the one that suits your purpose.
Cheap mass-produced knives are often labeled as “stainless steel”, but they are often of the lowest quality and do not last long.
There are characteristics that suit the application!
Each steel material for blades has its own characteristics according to the application. For example, there are various types of steel, such as steel that does not easily chip or crush the blade, rust-resistant steel, and mirror-finished steel.
If you do not use it according to the purpose you want to use, you will not be able to demonstrate the power of steel, so think carefully before purchasing. In addition, there are some difficulties in processing, so people who have few tools to process must consider that as well.
Black skin and surface polished
There are two types of steel materials for blades on the market as follows. One is steel material with black skin (oxide film). This cannot be made into a knife unless the surface of the material is polished with the oxide film formed when making the steel material remain as it is.
It is easy to have a power tool such as a belt sander, but be careful because it is very difficult to peel off the black skin without it. For those who have few tools, we recommend the one with a polished surface that is sold with the black skin removed.
Types of steel for self-made knives!
Carbon steel
Carbon steel is easy to rust, but it is steel material with a blade that cuts well. The price is low, large materials are easy to obtain, and the difficulty of processing is low, so it is easy to make a good self-made knife, but it is a pity that maintenance during processing and after completion is difficult due to the ease of rusting. Hey.
Stainless steel
Stainless steel is the most ode sock material for today’s self-made knives. The most popular type is sold because it is resistant to rust and has a sharp blade. However, it is conceivable that the initial cost for making a self-made knife will be high because a special tool for stainless steel is required for processing.
Laminated steel
Laminated steel is a steel material that is forged by stacking several steel materials. When processed, a unique laminated pattern appears, so it is often used for collection knives. The characteristics vary depending on the steel used, so be sure to check what is used before purchasing.
Powder steel
Powdered steel is steel made by compressing metal powder by a special manufacturing method. Unlike general steel materials, it hardly rusts, and some steel materials can be used as blades without heat treatment, making it the strongest self-made knife.
However, even a professional knife maker is very difficult to process and it is difficult steel material, so beginners should not buy it even if it is sold.
Steel material for self-made knives! No. ① ATS-34
Standard steel material for self-made knives!
ATS-34 is a patented steel grade of Hitachi Metals and is a standard material among steel materials sold as self-made knives. There are many sizes available for wholesale, and you can custom knives of various sizes. This steel has been the mainstream of self-made knives since it was used by R.W. Loveless, the father of modern knives.
Stable performance stainless steel
ATS-34 is one of the most well-balanced stainless steel and is a versatile material that can be used for any purpose. The processing is not so difficult, and you can work before and after the heat treatment without any problems. If you are wondering which steel material is best for you, it may be recommended to use ATS-34!
Steel material for self-made knives! No.② Chromo Seven
Stainless steel that hardly rusts!
Chromo Seven is a steel material for blades developed for razors. Thanks to the removal of carbides, it is a steel material that does not easily rust and is extremely easy to surface-treat. The hardness due to heat treatment will decrease a little, but it is recommended because it makes polishing and mirror finishing easier. It is extremely tough and the blade lasts a long time.
Mirror finish is easy!
Chromo Seven is a steel material that is easier to mirror finish than other steel materials. By making it a mirror finish, it is hard to get dirty and it is hard to oxidize, so you can custom a blade that is very resistant to rust. Recommended for knives such as fishing knives that are often immersed in seawater and design knives.
Steel material for self-made knives! No.③ SUS440-C
Recommended steel materials for beginners
SUS440-C is the second most sold stainless steel material for self-made knives. It is recommended for beginners among self-made knives because it is easy to process and easy to sharpen even after completion. The holding condition of the blade and the resistance to rust are normal, but it is a perfect material for making your own because it has excellent cost performance!
Low price material
The feature of SUS440-C is that the price sold is very low. Compared to other steel materials, SUS440-C is cheaper and easier for beginners to use, so it is the best material for practice. It is also recommended to custom some knives with SUS440-C and upgrade to other steel materials once you get used to it!
Steel material for self-made knives! No. ④ D-2
Originally it is shaped steel?
D-2 steel is mold steel called SDK11 in JIS format in Japan. The reason why shaped steel is used as a steel material for blades is that it is used in self-made knives because it is hard to be deformed by heat treatment and it can custom a hard and sturdy blade. Since it is carbon steel, it is a little rusty, but it is easier to use because it is less likely to rust than other carbon steel.
Recommended for tough usage!
D-2 steel is often sold in thicker materials, so it is recommended for EDC knives such as hatchets and swords. A knife with a thickness of about 5 mm and a length of 20 cm will be a good knife that can be used in any situation. It’s easy to process, so it’s recommended to custom a knife that suits your taste.
Steel material for self-made knives! No.⑤ VG10
Takefu Special Steel Special Steel
VG10 is special stainless steel made by Takefu Special Steel Co., Ltd. It is a steel material that has been adjusted to be a good material for blades, and you can custom a knife with a good balance. EDC Special Steel has also developed laminated steel using this VG10, and this laminated steel has become a very popular steel material.
Forged laminated steel is recommended!
VG10 made of Takefu Special Steel has been further improved and used as laminated steel. Laminated steel can be processed to create a very nice look knife with a special pattern. This pattern changes depending on the method of forging, so even the same VG10 laminated lumber will be completely different. Recommended for those who want to show their originality and individuality!
Steel material for self-made knives! No.⑥ HMS67
Steel material with a beautiful mirror finish
This HMS67 is a steel material that is easy to mirror finish like Chromo Seven. The difference from Chromo Seven is that it has slightly better workability and is popular and tends to run out of stock.
If you want to custom your own knife using this steel material, we recommend fishing knives and design knives. If you dig an engraving etc. in a beautiful mirror finish, it will surely be a beautiful knife!
Recommended for folding knives!
HMS67 is so tough that it is also used as a spring for folding knives. The strong and supple bend of the HMS67 can be used as a spring to create a comfortable folding knife.
Since there are few sizes sold, it tends to be sold out, but it will be replenished regularly, so be sure to check it carefully!
Steel material for self-made knives! No.⑦ ZDP189
Steel with the strongest hardness!
ZDP189 is stainless powder steel developed by Hatta Kogyo Co., Ltd. Since it is made by a special method different from ordinary steel, there are no impurities and it is in an ideal state as a cutlery steel.
It’s very hard, it doesn’t rust easily, and it has a long blade, so a knife using this will be a knife that is close to the strongest. This ZDP189 requires quenching, but since the developer Hatta Kogyo Co., Ltd. accepts heat treatment, it will perform the optimum heat treatment.
Be careful when you reach out!
ZDP189 is a steel material that is close to the strongest, but the difficulty of processing is also the strongest class because of the strongest. First of all, it is quite hard even before heat treatment, so it is a level that it is difficult to custom a blade or even custom a hole.
It can be machined with a stainless steel tool, but it is still difficult, so it is recommended to machine with an electric tool such as a belt sander.
Steel material for self-made knives! No.⑧ O-1
Tool steel from the United States!
It is tool steel called Owan Steel used in the United States. Since the famous American knife maker “WD Randall” used this to custom forged knives, it is also used as a steel material for general knives in the United States.
Since it is carbon steel, it easily rusts, but since it is tool steel, it is hard and can be made into a good knife by heat treatment.
If you want to reproduce the Randall knife, this is it!
Use O-1 to recreate the Randall knife. The O-1 wholesaled is not forged, but is flat-polished, so even people without a forging environment can process it. The price is a little high as a material, but it will be a reasonable price considering that it is already processed and easy to handle.
Steel material for self-made knives! No. ⑨ Stellite 6K
The strongest cutlery steel
Stellite 6K is probably the strongest blade steel material at the moment. Stellite 6K is a powder steel alloy of chromium and cobalt.
Strictly speaking, it is neither stainless steel nor steel, but it is the strongest material that never rusts, does not require heat treatment, is strong, and requires almost no maintenance. Now that the availability is scarce, it’s hard to see a knife made of this strongest material.
However, the processing is also the strongest difficulty
If you see this strongest steel for wholesale, we don’t recommend buying it easy. Stellite 6K is the strongest steel material for blades, but the difficulty of processing is also the strongest due to its strength.
The fact that it does not need to be heat-treated means that it has a hardness that can be used as a blade even before it is heat-treated. Please note that people who do not have power tools will not only have a lot of trouble but may not even be able to work!
What is recommended for beginners of self-made knives?
ATS-34 with good processing and finish
ATS-34 is recommended for beginners. AST-34, which demonstrates stable performance from the ease of processing to finish after completion, is a steel material that is perfect for beginners. There are many types of steel materials, and you can custom knives in any shape you like, so you can work freely.
Recently, the number of production has decreased, but the number of steel materials such as RWL34, which can be used as a substitute in the same organization, has increased, so it is a steel material that can be recommended without change.
Low price and easy to reach SUS440-C
The SUS440-C is probably the easiest for beginners to reach out to. The price is very low and the wholesale volume is large, so it is recommended that you get it easily. It’s also relatively easy to process, and it’s encouraging to be able to process it with few tools.
It’s easy to make mistakes at first, so it’s recommended to practice with SUS440-C, etc. before doing the actual performance, instead of doing it suddenly with expensive steel materials!
Heat treatment of self-made knife
Heat treatment that puts the life of the knife
The knife can finally be used as a blade by performing heat treatment of quenching and tempering. It can be said that it is difficult in a normal household because heat treatment requires heating the steel material at a temperature close to 800 ° C. For the time being, there is an electric furnace for home use, but since it is expensive, I hesitate to buy it suddenly.
It is recommended to ask a trader!
In such a case, it is convenient to have a heat treatment company. Some custom knife shops and steel shops receive the knives they custom and heat treat them. It’s cheaper than 10 dollars per bottle, so it’s almost common sense not only for beginners but also for individuals to rely on this.
Where to buy steel for your own knife?
Online shopping
Some steel products are sold at steel stores on the Internet. In this case, only basic steel materials and steel materials that can be carried in a lot are the main materials, and there are no types, so it is not recommended. Be aware that the steel structure may be different for malicious sites.
Custom knife specialty store
You can rest assured that you can go directly to a custom knife specialty store and online shopping at that custom knife specialty store. As it is a specialty store, there are many types of steel materials, and we have specialized knowledge, so we will carefully tell you which one to buy.
There are other materials, tools, introductory kits, etc., so if you want to custom your own knife, it is recommended to go to a custom knife specialty store first! The recommended shop is “Matrix-AIDA”, which is the largest in the custom knife industry. Please see the link below.
Summary of steel materials for self-made knives
Did you know what the characteristics of the steel material of your own knife are? The items introduced here are only a part, and there are still many steel materials. If you can find a steel material that suits you, you will surely be able to custom the best knife, so please try various steel materials by all means!
If you are interested in your own knife, check this out too!
If you are interested in your own knife, I will post a link to the Shieldon website here, so please read it if you like! Many articles summarize how to custom own knife. There are other articles that are useful for your own knives, so I recommend them!
You can also follow us through the following ways:
Shieldon、Facebook、Instagram、YouTube、Twitter、Tumblr、Pinterest
EN 
EN
ES 
FR 
RU 
PT 
KO 
ID 
MS 
IT 
DE 
TL