Best steel for knife making: a maker's guide

The best steel for knife making, if you are starting out, is 1084 or 80CrV2. Both are simple carbon steels that you can harden at home with a forge or torch, a magnet, proper quench oil and a kitchen oven. They forgive the small mistakes every beginner makes.

The real answer to "which knife steel?" depends less on the steel than on what you can heat treat. A brilliant stainless steel is a poor choice if you only own a two-brick forge. So this guide sorts eight beginner-friendly steels by the kit each one needs, then tells you where to buy known steel in the UK and US.

It's written for makers, not knife buyers. If you want the deep metallurgy, read Knife Steel Nerds and the knifemakingcourses.co.uk steel wiki. Here we stick to what you need on the bench.

Best steel for knife making at a glance

Prices are list prices seen on 28–29 Oct 2026 and depend on size. Check before you buy.

What makes a good knife making steel for a beginner?

Three things matter far more than edge-retention charts when you're learning:

1. Can you harden it with the kit you own? This is the big one.
2. Is it known steel? You need to know what's in it to look up the heat treat.
3. Can you buy it in the sizes you need? Usually 2.5–4.8 mm (3/32"–3/16") thick for most knives.

Forum veterans agree on the second point. Kevin Cashen advises buying known bar steel rather than using "mystery" scrap, and ranks known steel near the top of any beginner's spending list (ABS forum).

Recycled files, springs and saws can make good knives. But you are guessing at the heat treat, and every failed blade costs you hours of filing.

Which steels can you heat treat at home?

Here's the honest split.

Forge, torch or two-brick forge plus oil: 1084, 80CrV2, 15N20, 5160, and 1095 with care. These are the "simple" steels. You heat to just past non-magnetic, quench in oil, then temper in a kitchen oven.

Needs temperature control or a soak: O1. It wants holding at temperature for 20–30 minutes, which a forge can't do reliably by eye (BladeForums).

Needs an oven: AEB-L and 14C28N. They harden from about 1,050–1,080 °C (1,920–1,975 °F), have to be wrapped in stainless foil and quenched between aluminium plates, and benefit from cold treatment (Knife Steel Nerds AEB-L; Alleima 14C28N). If you don't own an oven, you can still use them by outsourcing the heat treat.

Even "easy" steels go wrong in a forge. Larrin Thomas tested forge-treated 80CrV2 samples sent in by knife makers and found "the success rate is roughly 20%; most of them were overheated" (Knife Steel Nerds). The fix is simple: heat to non-magnetic and no hotter.

The eight beginner steels, one by one

Numbers below come from steel suppliers' heat-treat sheets and Knife Steel Nerds. Suppliers disagree by 20–50 °C on some steels, so always use the datasheet for the bar you actually bought. Full recipes will live on our heat treating guides and the heat-treat recipe card.

1084: the classic first steel

1084 is a plain carbon steel with roughly 0.84% carbon. Knife Steel Nerds calls it "a very popular steel for beginning knifemakers", and it is the usual partner for 15N20 in damascus (Knife Steel Nerds).

• Harden: about 790–815 °C (1,450–1,500 °F), 5–15 minutes in a kiln (Pop's Knife Supplies; Alpha Knife Supply). In a forge, just past non-magnetic.
• Quench: a fast oil. Larrin Thomas found canola did not fully harden 1/8" (3.2 mm) 1084, and says Parks 50 is probably the easiest option (Knife Steel Nerds quench oils).
• Temper: twice for 2 hours. Pop's gives about 60–61 HRC at 205 °C (400 °F) and 63–64 HRC at 175 °C (350 °F).

Watch out for: 1084 has low hardenability, so a slow oil leaves it soft. Read our quench oil guide before you buy oil. More on the 1084 page.

80CrV2: the most forgiving

80CrV2 is about 0.80% carbon with 0.5% chromium and a little vanadium. Larrin Thomas calls it forgiving because it is hard to overheat, and found it slightly tougher than 1084 (Knife Steel Nerds).

• Harden: Knife Steel Nerds tested 830 °C (1,525 °F) for 10 minutes. Supplier sheets range from 795 °C (1,465 °F) to 880 °C (1,615 °F), so check yours.
• Quench: medium to fast oil. Kevin Cashen groups 80CrV2 with the medium-oil steels such as O1 and 52100 (KnifeDogs). Canola did not fully harden 1/4" (6.4 mm) 80CrV2 in Larrin's tests.
• Temper: 175–205 °C (350–400 °F) suits most knives. Don't go above 230 °C (450 °F), where toughness drops.

This is our first choice for a first knife or a bushcraft knife. More on the 80CrV2 page.

1095: hard and keen, less forgiving

1095 has about 0.95% carbon and is popular in factory outdoor knives. It is a "shallow hardening" steel: it needs a very fast quench.

• Harden: about 800 °C (1,475 °F) (Alpha Knife Supply).
• Quench: fast oil. Parks AAA and Parks 50 both hardened 1/8" 1095 in Larrin's tests; canola did not. For thicker water-hardening steels he recommends water, which raises the risk of cracking (Knife Steel Nerds).
• Corrosion: poor. In Knife Steel Nerds' ratings, 1095 sits at the bottom for corrosion resistance (Knife Steel Nerds ratings).

Our view: fine for a second or third knife in 3.2 mm (1/8") or thinner. Start with 1084 or 80CrV2 unless you already own a fast oil. More on the 1095 page.

O1: the UK tool-room favourite

O1 is an oil-hardening tool steel (1.2510 in European numbering). UK makers have used it for years because it is sold everywhere as precision-ground gauge plate. It is flat, accurate in thickness and lovely to file and finish (BushcraftUK; Cromwell).

• Harden: preheat at 677–732 °C (1,250–1,350 °F), then 790–815 °C (1,450–1,500 °F) with a soak: 30 minutes at 790 °C (1,455 °F) or 20 minutes at 820 °C (1,510 °F) (Alpha Knife Supply).
• Quench: medium oil. In Larrin's tests canola and Parks 50 gave the same result on O1, so canola is acceptable here (Knife Steel Nerds).
• Temper: twice for 2 hours, typically 175–205 °C (350–400 °F) (Pop's).

The catch: the soak. A propane torch is unlikely to reach O1's temperature for anything but very small blades (BladeForums). Use O1 if you have a forge with a thermocouple, an oven, or a heat treater. Great for kiridashi and sloyd knives. More on the O1 page.

15N20: the bright layer in damascus

15N20 is about 0.75% carbon with 2% nickel, originally a bandsaw steel (Eurotechni). The nickel stays bright after etching, which is why it pairs with 1084 in damascus. On its own it makes tough, thin blades.

• Harden: about 790–805 °C (1,450–1,480 °F) (Alpha; Pop's).
• Quench: fast to medium oil. At 1/4" it came out clearly softer in canola than in Parks 50 (Knife Steel Nerds).
• Temper: twice for 2 hours, 205 °C (400 °F) gives about 60–61 HRC (Pop's).

More on the 15N20 page.

AEB-L: the easy-to-grind stainless

AEB-L (also sold as 13C26) is a fine-grained stainless with about 0.65–0.7% carbon and around 13% chromium. Knife Steel Nerds found it tougher than most stainless steels, and rates it well for thin kitchen knives (Knife Steel Nerds).

• Harden: 1,050–1,080 °C (1,925–1,975 °F). Larrin's maximum-hardness recipe is 1,080 °C (1,975 °F) for 15 minutes; 1,050 °C (1,925 °F) favours toughness. Don't exceed about 1,095 °C (2,000 °F).
• Quench: between aluminium plates, in stainless foil.
• Cold treatment: liquid nitrogen or dry ice is best; a home freezer gives a partial benefit.
• Temper: 150–175 °C (300–350 °F) for hardness around 62–64 HRC.

That's an oven job. For a gyuto, petty or paring knife, AEB-L is hard to beat. More on the AEB-L heat treat page.

14C28N: stainless with better corrosion resistance

14C28N is Alleima's (formerly Sandvik's) knife steel: 0.62% carbon, 14% chromium and 0.11% nitrogen. Alleima recommends it for chef's, hunting and fishing knives, and rolls it 1.0–4.5 mm thick (Alleima datasheet).

• Harden: 1,050 °C (1,922 °F) for 5 minutes per Alleima's datasheet. Quench so it reaches 600 °C within 1–2 minutes.
• Cold treatment: adds about 1–2 HRC.
• Temper: don't temper above 450 °C (840 °F). Above that it gets brittle and loses corrosion resistance.

Like AEB-L, it needs an oven or a heat treater. Choose it over AEB-L when the knife will live wet: a fillet knife, a boning knife or a fishing knife.

5160: for choppers and big blades

5160 is a chromium spring steel, the classic leaf-spring steel. Knife Steel Nerds recommends it for large knives that need "very high toughness" (Knife Steel Nerds ratings).

• Harden: 815–830 °C (1,500–1,525 °F) for 15 minutes (Knife Steel Nerds).
• Quench: oil. Larrin used Parks 50 then liquid nitrogen.
• Temper: 190–205 °C (375–400 °F), twice for an hour, for 58.5–59.5 HRC. He advises against tempering at 230 °C (450 °F), where 5160 gets more brittle.

Use it for a camp knife or chopper or a kukri. You'll need a forge long enough to heat the whole blade evenly.

Carbon steel or stainless: which should you start with?

Start with carbon. It is cheaper, easier to grind, and you can harden it yourself on day one.

The oven price is real. Evenheat's LB 18 lists at £2,463 ex VAT in the UK (Multitool Products, Oct 2026) and about $2,328 in the US (Kiln Shed, Aug 2026) (Multitool Products; Kiln Shed). So most hobby makers who want stainless send blades out. In the UK that has cost about £8 a blade, in the US about $10 (2018–2022 forum figures) (BladeForums; KnifeDogs).

See heat treat ovens and outsourcing heat treatment.

Which steel for which knife?

Our knife templates each list suggested steels. Here's the short version:

How thick should knife steel be?

Thickness depends on the knife, and our templates print the suggested stock on each sheet. Typical ranges:

• Kitchen knives: 2.0–3.0 mm (5/64"–1/8"), tapering towards the tip.
• First knife, EDC, hunters: 3.2 mm (1/8").
• Bushcraft: 3.2–4.8 mm (1/8"–3/16").
• Choppers and camp knives: 4.8–6.4 mm (3/16"–1/4").

Thicker isn't stronger in a useful way for most knives. It is slower to grind, and harder to get thin behind the edge. If you're filing by hand, 3.2 mm is plenty.

Where to buy knife steel in the UK and US

Buy from knife suppliers who state the grade and condition. Generic online listings often have no mill certificate, and forum veterans warn against unknown steel (ABS).

UK suppliers

• GFS Knife Supplies (St Austell, Cornwall): 80CrV2 in 3 mm × 700 mm lengths, from £7.46 (30 mm wide) to £35.06 (150 mm wide), hot rolled and annealed; also 1084 (GFS, Oct 2026). 80CrV2 and 1084 barGFS Knife Supplies
• Barmond (Special Steels): 80CrV2 £6.00–18.50, AEB-L £13.75–55.00, 14C28N £15.00–40.00, 15N20 £14.50–18.60, plus Damasteel and 52100 (Barmond, Oct 2026). Knife steelsBarmond
• Cromwell: precision-ground O1 gauge plate in 500 mm lengths (Cromwell). O1 gauge plateCromwell
• Moonraker Knives (Warminster): Elmax and handle materials (Moonraker).
• Eurotechni (France, ships to the UK): 15N20 from €7.80 for 40 × 1.78 × 615 mm (Eurotechni, Oct 2026). Expect import VAT and possibly duty.

US suppliers

• Jantz Supply (knifemaking.com): 1084 from $14.95 to $214.95 depending on size (Oct 2026). 1084 high-carbon barJantz · $14.95–214.95 (Oct 2026)
• Maker Material Supply (Granbury, TX): 80CrV2 from $10.99 (3/32" × 1.5" × 12") to $52.99 (1/4" × 2" × 24"), hot rolled and annealed (Maker Material Supply, Oct 2026). 80CrV2 flat barMaker Material Supply
• Alpha Knife Supply: a wide steel range with heat-treat sheets for each (Alpha). Knife steelAlpha Knife Supply
• Pop's Knife Supplies: steel, quench oil and published heat-treat tables (Pop's). Knife steelPop's Knife Supplies
• New Jersey Steel Baron and USA Knife Maker are also widely used by US makers (prices not checked for this guide).

Should you use the steel selector?

If you're unsure, try the steel selector. Tell it what heat-treat kit you own and what knife you're making, and it suggests three steels with a "can I heat treat this at home?" flag. It is the quick version of this page.

For the full metallurgy (carbide types, grain size, toughness testing), go to the knifemakingcourses.co.uk steel wiki and Knife Steel Nerds' steel ratings. Those ratings compare most steels at about 59–62 HRC, so they don't tell you how a steel behaves after a forge heat treat at home.

Don't buy: steel mistakes we see often

• Mystery steel for your first knife. If it doesn't harden, you won't know whether the steel or your heat treat was the problem.
• Stainless with no oven and no heat treater lined up. You'll end up with a soft blade.
• Thick stock "for strength". 6 mm on a small knife means hours of extra grinding.
• Canola for 1084 or 1095. Buy a proper fast oil or outsource. Kevin Cashen put dedicated quench oil at about $75–100 against $10–20 for supermarket oil (2012), and called it one of the best early investments (ABS).
• Hardened blanks to drill. Drill pin holes while the steel is annealed.

FAQs

What is the best steel for a first knife?

80CrV2 or 1084. Both harden in a forge or with a torch, quench in oil and temper in a kitchen oven. 80CrV2 is a little more forgiving if you overheat it, and a little tougher. Buy 3.2 mm (1/8") bar from a knife supplier, pair it with a proper fast or medium quench oil, and save stainless for later or for a heat treater.

Is 1095 good for beginners?

It's usable but less forgiving than 1084. 1095 needs a very fast quench: canola didn't fully harden 1/8" 1095 in Knife Steel Nerds' tests, while Parks AAA and Parks 50 did. It also rusts readily. If you already own a fast oil and stick to thin stock, 1095 makes a keen, hard working knife.

Can I make a knife from an old file or leaf spring?

Yes, and many makers start that way. The problem is you don't know the exact steel, so you can't look up the heat treat. Old files are often very high carbon and may be case-hardened. Leaf springs are often 5160 or similar, but not always. Anneal first, test a small offcut, and accept a higher failure rate than with known steel.

What is the difference between 1084 and 80CrV2?

Both are about 0.8% carbon. 80CrV2 adds about 0.5% chromium and a little vanadium, which makes it slightly tougher and harder to overheat. Knife Steel Nerds also found 80CrV2 hardened more deeply in oil than 1084. In practice, either works well for a first knife; 80CrV2 is the safer bet if you heat treat in a forge.

Is stainless steel harder to make knives from?

Mainly in heat treatment. Stainless knife steels like AEB-L and 14C28N harden from 1,050–1,080 °C, need stainless foil, a plate quench and ideally cold treatment, which means an oven. They're also slower to grind. Many hobby makers grind stainless blades at home and post them to a heat treater.

Can I heat treat O1 in a forge?

Only with temperature control. O1 needs holding at about 790–820 °C for 20–30 minutes. A forge fitted with a thermocouple and controller can do it; judging by colour and a magnet can't hold a steady soak. Without that, choose 1084 or 80CrV2, or send O1 blades out.

What steel do professional knife makers use?

It varies by knife. Kitchen knife makers often use AEB-L, 14C28N, 26C3 or powder steels. Bladesmiths use 1084, 80CrV2, 52100 and damascus. Outdoor makers use O1, 80CrV2 and stainless. Professionals choose steel to suit their heat-treat equipment, just as you should.

Sources

1. Knife Steel Nerds, "How to Heat Treat 80CrV2" (2022): https://knifesteelnerds.com/2022/06/23/how-to-heat-treat-80crv2/
2. Knife Steel Nerds, "Which Quenching Oil is Best for Knives?" (2021): https://knifesteelnerds.com/2021/07/19/which-quenching-oil-is-best-for-knives/
3. Knife Steel Nerds, "Knife Steels Rated by a Metallurgist" (2021, updated 2025): https://knifesteelnerds.com/2021/10/19/knife-steels-rated-by-a-metallurgist-toughness-edge-retention-and-corrosion-resistance/
4. Knife Steel Nerds, "All About AEB-L" (2019): https://knifesteelnerds.com/?p=2353
5. Knife Steel Nerds, "How to Heat Treat 5160" (2019): https://knifesteelnerds.com/2019/04/01/how-to-heat-treat-5160/
6. Knife Steel Nerds, review of Kevin Cashen's 1084 guide (2018): https://knifesteelnerds.com/2018/06/25/review-kevin-cashens-guide-to-1084/
7. Alleima 14C28N datasheet: https://www.alleima.com/en/technical-center/material-datasheets/strip-steel/alleima-14c28n/
8. Alpha Knife Supply, blade steel heat treat info (modified Feb 2024): https://www.alphaknifesupply.com/shop/?p=8343
9. Pop's Knife Supplies, heat treating and tempering information: https://popsknife.supplies/pages/heat-treating-and-tempering-information
10. Eurotechni, 15N20 / 75Ni8: https://www.eurotechni.com/en/15n20-75ni8.html
11. GFS Knife Supplies, 80CrV2: https://www.gfsknifesupplies.com/Products/80crv2-700mm
12. Barmond, knife steels: https://www.barmondsheffield.com/product-category/shop/knife-steels/
13. Maker Material Supply, 80CrV2: https://www.makermaterialsupply.com/products/80crv2-high-carbon-blade-steel-flat-bar-various-sizes
14. Cromwell, O1 gauge plate: https://www.cromwell.co.uk/shop/materials-and-maintenance/ground-flat-stock/precision-ground-flat-stock-2mm-x-500mm-gauge-plate-01-tool-steel/f/63500
15. KnifeDogs, Parks 50 vs AAA for 80CrV2: https://www.knifedogs.com/goto/post?id=425165
16. ABS forum, beginner's shopping list: https://www.americanbladesmith.org/community/tools-equipment-and-jigs/beginners-shopping-list-for-tools/
17. BladeForums, UK beginner heat treat oven options: https://bladeforums.com/threads/uk-beginner-heat-treat-oven-options.1709596
18. BladeForums, UK heat treating: https://bladeforums.com/threads/uk-heat-treating.1646892
19. KnifeDogs, outsourcing heat treat costs (2022): https://knifedogs.com/goto/post?id=432638
20. BushcraftUK, basic stock removal equipment: https://bushcraftuk.com/community/threads/basic-and-cheap-equipment-for-stock-removal-blade-making.150485
21. Multitool Products, Evenheat kilns: https://www.multitoolproducts.com/evenheat-kilns
22. Kiln Shed, heat treat oven guide (2026): https://kilnshed.com/blog/heat-treat-oven-knife-making-guide/
23. Moonraker Knives, knifemaking supplies: https://www.moonrakerknives.co.uk/knifemaking-supplies
24. knifemakingcourses.co.uk steel wiki: https://knifemakingcourses.co.uk/wiki/steels/