What steel would be best?

[Longshot]

A friend of mine wants me to make a knife for him in exchange for some steel. He gave me a list of the steels that he has access to, but I don't know much about them yet. Any recommendations? Heres the list:
Stainless 303
Stainless 17-4
Stainless 416
.125 stainless 15-5 ph per ams5659
.1875 stainless15-5 ph
.188O.D. .O49 WALL 304 STAINLESS
.250 C300 AMS6514/F
.250 CUSTOM 455 AMS5617/J
.250 STAINLESS 15-5 PH PER AMS 5659
.3125 CUSTOM 455 ASM5617/J
.3125 STAINLESS 316
.375 C300 AMS 6514/F
.375 CUSTOM 455 ASM5617/J
.375 DELRIN 150
.375 INCONEL 625
.395 MP35N CW-FS PER AMS5844 & ASTM F562
.437 DELRIN 150
.4375 CUSTOM 455 ASM5617/J
.4375 440C ANNEALED
.4375 STAINLESS 15-5 PER ASM5659
.462 MP35N CW-FS PER AMS5844 & ASTMF562
.437 GLID COP AL-60
.500 INCONEL 625 COND A
.500 BIODUR CCM PLUS HOT WORKED
.500 C300 AMS6514/F
.500 C350 MIL-S-46850
.500 CUSTOM 455 ASM5617/J
.500 DELRIN 150
.500 INCONEL 718 AMS5662.500 INVAR 36
.500 O.D. .049WALL 304 STAINLESS
.5625 INCONEL 718 AMS 5662
.580 TITANIUM BETA C
.625 INCONEL 718 AMS5662
.625 CUSTOM 455 AMS 5617/J
.625 C300 AMS 6514/F
.625 DELRIN 150
.625 MP35N CW-FS PER ASM5844 &ASTM F562
.625 STAINLESS 15-5 PH
.665 TITANIUM BETA C
.688 INCONEL 718 AMS5662
.690 TITANIUM BETA C
.748 (19MM) GLID COP AL-60

Any information on these steels would be appreciated!

[Eli Jensen]

The only one I recognize for knife steel is 440C, but its listed as pretty thick. Stainless 303 and 416 can be used to bolsters, liners, guards, etc.

[Doug Lester]

I would say that none of them that are in the thicknesses that you would use for stock removal will make an adequate knife blade. As Cpt-Jens pointed out 440C will make a good blade but the size available is too thick and forging it is challenging. Deffinantly not for the beginning smith. If he were my friend I would have to tell him that there is nothing that he has access to that would be useful to me for making a knife.

Doug

[Ray Rogers]

Ditto. A good bit of that stuff isn't steel at all such as Delrin (a kind of nylon), titanium, and inconel. Ask him if he can get the 440C in .250 or less thickness. Or, if he's at a machine shop, ask him to split one of those 440C bars lengthwise so that it is half thickness (a waterjet or EDM could do this).....

[Eli Jensen]

Or, you could take the 440C as it is and make a knife like this?

http://digital-art-gallery.com/oid/6...igital_art.jpg

[Ray Rogers]

Good one, Ely!! Actually, that looks a lot like what most of us envision making as our first knife....

[Longshot]

Thanks, he does in fact work at a machine shop making high performance springs for aircraft and other vehicles, so I will ask if he can cut down the 440C like you said. Thanks everyone for the advice!

[fighterjet1995]

Saw your post and thought I could help you in case your friend doesn't have access to those materials anymore:

Stainless 17-4
https://fighterjetmetals.com/2020/11/15/ams-5659/

.125 stainless 15-5 ph per ams5659
https://fighterjetmetals.com/2020/11/15/ams-5659/

.250 C300 AMS6514/F
https://fighterjetmetals.com/2020/11/17/ams-6514/

.250 CUSTOM 455 AMS5617
https://fighterjetmetals.com/2020/11/17/ams-5617/

.375 INCONEL 625
https://fighterjetmetals.com/2020/11/17/ams-5666/

.395 MP35N CW-FS PER AMS5844 & ASTM F562
https://fighterjetmetals.com/2020/11/17/ams-5844/

.500 C350 MIL-S-46850
https://fighterjetmetals.com/2020/11/17/mil-s-46850/


.500 INCONEL 718 AMS5662
https://fighterjetmetals.com/2020/11/17/ams-5662/

[TexasJack]

Check the date on those posts - 2012. 9 years ago.

It's not unusual for people on TKN to post responses to people who are now dead and buried.