I have never had to order anything online without having a simple click system like amazon to use so this is all new to me. I have heard of websites like Furnival steel and argent steel being good suppliers in the UK but I am unsure how to order. Is it as simple as emailing them or is there a certain system of it? 

I decided to ask here so I can get a basic idea of what to expect first or if there are other better suppliers. I am unable to drive so traveling to a local steel supplier is not an easy task unfortunately. 

you can always give them a ring. or use the online ordering system  I use both methods

Pnone them up, andy at furnival is great to use.  just remember steel is bought in nominal lengths , 5m 7m  or in sheets etc so dont expect to but little bits. you can but smaller bits from ebay Uk.

Depends what you need and how much you want. Theres lots of click and pay stores online, The metal Store has easy web site and lenghts from 1.5m, but delivery costs hurt on small orders. Most seem to charge approx £ 2 a KG, and offer free cutting. Ebay has some small quantities. But if you could grab a lift from a friend, you can pop in your local seel supplier and grab off cuts, around £1 a kg.

expect to pay quite a lot more than £2 a kg for decent carbon steel, most of the stuff I get is in the £3 to £7 range smaller pieces will cost more per Kg .

Awesome, thank you for the information so I just have to look around to find where is best for what volume of stee I need?  and one last question, anybody know where I could get a large block of mild steel to weld a bit of hardened steel onto for an anvil? 

For high carbon or 15N20, take a look at highgradesteel.co.uk  too, as they have an ebay store too for smaller lengths. Obviously it works out cheaper per KG if you buy bulk, but sometimes the initial outlay is prohibitive.

I use the metal store online and it works easily enough like amazon but they dont seem to stock carbon steel. But fine for all sorts of mild.  Delivery is efficient. I have used metals4u in the past, same simple online ordering.

I've also used themetalstore a couple of times. It's not that hard to get into their free delivery amount and the delivery is decent (although the driver's often seem bemused by why on earth you want all these lengths of heavy stuff). I have ordered off cuts of EN19 from Jenkins Steel via their Ebay shop but haven't found a carbon steel supplier to get tool steel and the like from beyond bits of flat O1, so I'll be checking out the highgradesteel link above. If you want bar for knife or blade making the gfsknifesupplies.com are really good and the only people I've found with much more than O1. Really good service, too.

i should have said the online stores sometimes vary a lot in price.. worth doing a comparison before you click the final button. 

I was working down in London recently and ordered from the metal store to get delivered to short term accommodation.  I had my posh car (the one with an MOT) with me so  I put cutting instructions for 1 metre lengths of various profiles in the order.  6 metre lengths turned up. 

Cue a comedy sketch whereby a local handy man with a grinder and a stone cutting disc sets himself on fire.  Always best to follow up an online order with a phone call. 

I lucked onto a great deal on excess steel because I was the one that showed up with a pickup truck---and an angle grinder, face shield and hearing protectors---and an extension cord.  The seller said folks had been showing up with passenger cars and expecting him to cut the 20' lengths to fit for free!  He even sold me the drops, (200 pieces of 22" long 1/2" sq solid stock), for less than scrap rate! Handy size for a lot of projects and having the drops means the long pieces are still mainly intact.

Yeah, 22" is a great length, you're a lucky dog Thomas. Wait a second, who said, "Fortune favors the prepared mind?) Military axiom I think but true anywhere anytime. 

Frosty The Lucky.