g'day, i made 2 throwing knives about 8 inches long from a laminated bar.they don't bend or brake no matter how much i abuse them. i cut them out with an angle grinder (slowly and kept cooling with water) shaped them with a bench grinder (as it warms in your hand stick in water) and finished with a file. the steel can be polished easily but mine are sprayed with bright pink marking out paint so i can find them when i miss the target.