Choose the width from the tallest point of the knife's profile, the thickness from the knife's job, and the length from the knife's overall length if it has a full tang. Leave a little extra on each for grinding and cleanup. Kitchen knives use wide, thin stock; hunting and outdoor knives narrower, thicker stock; folders the shortest pieces.
Width: the tallest point of the knife
Measure your knife's profile from spine to edge at its tallest point. That's usually the blade, but on a full-tang knife the handle or a finger guard can be taller. The tallest point is the minimum billet width; add a millimeter or two to clean up the profile. A chef's knife that's 50 mm tall at the heel needs at least 52 mm, so 55 mm stock.
Thickness: what the knife does
Thickness decides how the knife cuts and how much work it takes. Thin stock slices; thicker stock stands up to prying and chopping. Typical starting points:
Kitchen knives: 2-2.5 mm (about 0.08-0.10 in).
Folding knives: 2-4 mm (about 0.08-0.16 in).
Hunting and skinning knives: 3-4 mm (about 0.12-0.16 in).
Bushcraft and camp knives: 4-5 mm (about 0.16-0.20 in).
Our cut-to-size bars come flat-ground, so little is lost to cleanup. You can always grind thinner than the stock, never thicker.
Length: the whole knife
For a full-tang knife, the billet length is the knife's overall length plus a little for cleanup. For a hidden tang, it's the blade plus the tang. For a folder, it's the blade plus the tang around the pivot. Cut-to-size steel is sold by the inch, so round up to the next whole inch.
Typical starting sizes
Starting points, not rules; your design decides.
Chef's knife (8 in / 200 mm blade): 50-55 mm wide, 2.5 mm thick, 13-14 in long.
Utility or petty knife (5-6 in blade): 30-35 mm wide, 2 mm thick (3 mm for a sturdier utility knife), 10-11 in long.
Paring knife (3-4 in blade): 20-25 mm wide, 2 mm thick, 7-8 in long.
Hunting or skinning knife (3.5-4.5 in blade): 30-35 mm wide, 3-4 mm thick, 8-9 in long.
Bushcraft or camp knife (4-5 in blade): 35-40 mm wide, 4-5 mm thick, 9-10 in long.
Folding knife (3-3.5 in blade): 20-35 mm wide, 2-4 mm thick, 4-5 in for the blade and tang.
Cut-to-size DSC® bar stock runs from 20 to 60 mm wide and 2 to 10 mm thick. The size finder shows which widths, thicknesses and patterns are in stock right now, with the price for the length you need.
Carbon or stainless
DSC® Inox is approved for direct contact with food and resists rust once it's hardened, which makes it the practical choice for kitchen knives. DSC® Carbon has a bold, high-contrast etch and suits hunting and outdoor knives whose owners keep them oiled. The steel guide compares them side by side.
Cut to size, pre-cut or forge-ready
Cut to size: pick any width, thickness and pattern in stock, and we cut it from bar stock to the inch you order.
Pre-cut: individual pieces up to 12 in long, each listed with its exact size and length. If one matches your plan, it ships as is.
Forge-ready: raw, scaled bars and rounds for smiths who forge their own shapes.
Orders placed before 2 pm Pacific ship the same business day from Ashland, Oregon. Open the size finder.