Hey y'all. Im looking to get into knife making. I want to start with steel sheets or blanks. I don't have a set up to forge anything yet, but where do you suggest i get steel from. is there an online store yall use. old files, saw blades. id appreciate the insight. i live in san antonio. thanks!

Look at Jantz Supply on the web.

Texas knife steel

Texas knife steel will have what you are looking for.

Both of the above are good sources, and more local. Last time I ran the numbers, I believe New Jersey Steel Baron had the lowest prices though. That's where I order from. Pretty much everything else I get from Jantz.

Edit: Just saw the comment about old steel (files, rasps, sawmill blades, etc.). I have limited experience with this. I'm pretty new myself, so I like to know exactly what I'm working with. If you do decide to make knives out of old steel, I would imagine you could just do stock removal, being careful not to heat the steel to the point that it will affect the integrity of the heat treatment. If it's too hot to touch, then you've overheated it. Someone with more experience could probably give you better guidance on this. Let me know how it goes; I have some ferrier rasps, large planer blades, and sawmill blades that I'm eventually going to play around with.

Thanks guys for the places to look, last question do yall mainly do cut stuff like sheet steel or do yall do the whole forging process, i feel as if cut stuff is an easier and cheaper place to start?

Tex, I’ve done both. But as I’ve aged, I’ve realized that I can buy as good or better than I can make.

The problem with using files, rasps and other sheet steels you have not idea what the carbon content is. A lot of files nowadays are case hardened, meaning mild steel interior and will not get hard. I don't buy from Jantz or Texas Knife, I buy too much steel and neither, have the steel I buy or have it lengths I want.

Pops Knife Supply is my supplier, I used to buy from Aldo at New Jersey Steel Baron but too many times he's out of what I want and his shipping has gone through the roof. I make and sell over 400 knives a year and every place I can save money, is who gets my business.