I have a bug to make a knife or two for myself, and wondered if the ready made blades that are listed on these supply sites are any good. I know what kind of blade shape I want but I have never been impressed with the stainless blades I have bought over the years. I have always turned to carbon steel for blade material. I have no place to set up a forge, I have a machine shop and do most of my work on guns, steam engines and other simular hobbys.
So the question is what companies are recommended for supplies.

You can make a knife without forging. It's called stock removal. But please don't tell Mr. Fisk or Mr. Williams I said that!

The main suppliers I purchase from are Tru-Grit, Inc., Mid-West Knife Supply, and Jantz Supply. Tru-Grit has the best prices on abrasive belts, mosaic pins, and steel. Mid-West's prices on man-made handle material are better than the other two. And I get odds and ends from Jantz. All three companies sell ground carbon steel. The best source I have found for Desert Ironwood is Arizona Ironwood Distributors.

Hope that helps.

Lee
baumgartknives@gmail.com
Baumgart Handmade Knives

Rolland;
You can make a fine knife with a piece of precision ground O1 steel.
The problems that arise in buying a "blade" from the suppliers is that it is already heat treated.
Being already hard makes a lot of your work much more difficult than it needs to be.
Heat treating is just about the most simple part of knife making.
Will it be perfectly done; no, but it will still be better than most of the most of the super duper ready mades out there.
PM or contact me and I will walk you through it. Takes longer to tell than do Mike

If you can find a copy to purchase, or maybe find a copy in your local library, there is a very good book you might like to read.

Its called KNIFEMAKING with Bob Loveless by Durwood Hollis. It is geared to the novice knifemaker. Lots of photographs and good information about the various steels to use to make a knive.

Lee, that's funny. As you know once its forged it's all stock removal. Have fun out there at blade west.