416 SS - Need some quick suggestions

[Terry Primos]

Guys,
I deal primarily with nickel silver for my guard stock. I am starting to lean toward 416 Stainless because I am getting requests for it.

Right now, I'm in a pinch. I have to make some knives with 416 guards. These have to be completed and shipped to Kenny Rowe for sheaths, and ready for delivery for the Spirit of Steel show which is September 13th.

The size stock I want is 1/4" x 3/4", and all I can find is 1/4" x 1". That's too much waste for the knives I'll be doing. I found 303 SS on James Poplin's site, but I'm not sure I want to use that.

Can you guys help me find a supplier who has the size I'm looking for? I'm trying to find a dependable vendor who will either rush the stuff off to me or tell up front that they are out of stock. In this situation I can't be put on some backlog list thinking that my stock is on the way.

By the way, I am not looking for a member to send me the stuff. Every time I've mentioned needing something, someone here has just sent me what I was looking for as a gift. Obviously I am very grateful for that, but I never seem to have anything they want in trade. And after this happening a few times I started feeling like a leech.

I just want to find a good vendor and get the stuff quick. Oh! And the cleaner the stock, the better. I need to cut off as much time as I can on this thing. Many thanks.

[Terry Primos]

Good grief. I just found it. K&G has it in the size I need.

However, if you guys want to throw in some opinions and mention who you use, how dependable they are, how much, etc., jump on in here.

[KandS_KNIVES]

I get mine from Jantz Supply up in Davis,OK.

[John Frankl]

Terry,

What are the primary differences between 303 and 416 stainless?

I just assumed if it wasn't going to be used for the blade it wouldn't really matter.

John

[Gary Mulkey]

John,

I'm not Terry and I hope the two of you don't mind be adding this. The biggest difference between 303 & 416 that I've found is: one 416 is easier to machine & two 300 series stainless is almost impossible to solder.

Gary

[Colin Nicol]

Hi
I get most of my stuff from antz and they get it here in 5-7 days. Their service is great. 416 in NZ is extremely hard to find so I am currently using 303.

Colin

[ironbasher]

John, the biggest difference between 303 and 416 is that 416 is heat treatable and should be heat treated for maximum corrosion resistance. also a good source for 416 is tru-grit. Ironbasher