>>HELP! What type of STEEL for my picks...here's my choices:

[presto]

1.) The choices of material that I have here in San Diego to purchase for making a set of picks are below, price is not a factor, I can purchase as little as 6", what is the HIGHEST quality material out of the following and WHY?:

50 Carbon Spring Steel
75 Carbon Spring Steel
95 Carbon Spring Steel
AISI-SAE 4130 Heat-Treatable Strip
Blue Tempered Steel & Polished Strip Steel
MartINsite Low Carbon Sheet
Tempered Strip Steel
Special Temper High Carbon Strip Steel

2.) ALSO, what is the best thickness and width of material to buy?

I need a STEEL pro to answer this question....ANYONE?

[raimundo]

about fifty seventy-five and ninety-five carbon steel I know nothing, perhaps its a metalurgist or manufacturers code
carbon steel contains a small percentage of carbon like three percent or four percent.

Street sweeper bristle is a good choice and may have silicone in the alloy,

foot long feeler gauges can be bought in muliples of the same thickness, and .020" to .028" are the best choices genrally
though some special pieces might be made or thicker or thinner stock. This is a tool steel but will rust if not kept dry and clean, fingerprints will contain salt and grease which can promote rust, so keep them clean

all other common drain snake hacksaw blade and on and on are good enough though they may involve more mass wasting to get down to the shape.

[alexwaldron]

I would go with the 1095 carbon steel as this is a very tough metal. Just make sure the manufacturer you're going through says that they heat treat the metal. Also, as mentioned, hacksaw blades and street sweeper bristles make for very good picks. Let us know what you end up using!