Yeah I don’t think that the sort of manufactures who are selling millions of pattern welded knives a year are making billets one at a time on a power hammer. So “hand made” in the sense that a human is operating machines to smack together pre-existing stock. You can’t exactly pour the stuff ready made from a smelter.
I think what you discovered there is that steel of any sort from India and Pakistan. Particularly the stuff out of sweat shops. Is cheaper than anything else.
I would not order any of that. Indian and Pakistani steel is renowned for it’s low quality. Plus sweat shops. Apparently quality steel, including tool steel exists from these places. But you aren’t finding it, and I’ve never seen it. Supposedly goes mostly to construction stuff. I beams and heavy equipment.
