New to knife making and looking for help. im from just north of Winnipeg and am looking for a few pieces for practice , was thinking 440c and 01 tool steel is there anywhere close to get or cheaper places to start with ?
Metal Supermarket in Winnipeg usually carries a some O1 bar stock at reasonable prices but it's a 36" length, and their stock is limited so there's no guarantee that they'll have the thickness you'll want. I usually order all my steel online; Canadian Knifemaker Supply is good and I've also had good dealings with Canadian-Artisan who is based out of MB. Where are you located? If you're just looking for a small piece of carbon steel I could probably hook you up. I'm in Stonewall. Also, if you're looking for old files to forge into knives you could check out Glen Candle Co in West St. Paul. They have a big pile of hand tools for $2 a pop.
I second the Canadian Knifemaker Supply. They used to sell by the inch, but now by the foot. Freight is not horrible if you order enough to make it worthwhile. Canadian-Artisan is @John Noon who is a regular and helpful contributor and member here in the forum.