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Do you plan on heat treating the knives yourself? If so the higher allow steels like A2 are pickier to heat treat than oil hardening steels like O1. O1 is an excellent choice for most knives. For throwing knives I would go with a something along the lines of 1060, 1075, 5160. They won't hold an edge as long as O1 but there is less of a chance of the tips snapping off if they are heat treated properly.
Most people I know just use 3/16" thick steel when making a 3/16" thick straight knife. It will come out a little undersized but acceptable. If you're making a folder or the thickness is critical you will need to buy "oversized" tool steel, or the next size up....which for plain carbon steels like 1060 is usually 1/4"
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