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I'm not gonna throw anything out there yet, but I'm wondering what everyone's favorite way to cut steel is? i.e. getting the initial razor shape out of stock. Particular pieces of gear that you find work the best? With/without cutting oil? Etc. Looking forward to it.
My usual practice is to forge the blade to shape on a bar, then use a hot cutter to cut it off while the metal is glowing red. :)
If I'm cutting something else, I'll use an angle grinder with a cutoff disk. This is fast but a little dangerous. I don't have room for a metal cutting bandsaw, which is something that I really should have.
Josh
If you want to take the time, a hack saw will work.
If I'm at home, it's usually the cutting wheel in the angle grinder or the bandsaw. At work, I'll use the plasma cutter.
Wayne
Metal cutting bandsaw. Before I owned one of these lovely tools, however, I used a 1/2" polishing arbor attached to a gasoline pump motor by a belt. To this arbor, I would attach 5 1/2" abrasive saw blades. This isn't a precise setup at all, but you could hog off a lot of metal. After that, it's to the grinder to true up the profile. A hacksaw works, too, but it's slow, and if you're using stainless, you'll go through a lot of blades. Probably wouldn't work if you're forging, either, as you'll probably get some work or air hardening, especially when working with chromium-containing tool steels like O1.
I use a hacksaw, for the plain and simple fact that I don't have anything better.
Cutting through 6 mm thick O1, lengthwise is not a fun task, and I had to do it in multiple sessions.
I do use an angle grinder and cut off wheel for ripping bar stock (if I have to do that) but I don't like them, they just smell like death to me. Long, slow, chemical fume induced death. (probably an exaggeration, but I seriously hate the way they smell)
I use a friends metal cutting band saw.