Assuming that it is stainless, my guess is it's 304 and it will be useless for a knife. It's unlikely to be 316 as there aren't many people that will throw away a bit of 316 that size, it would cost getting on for 30 quid. 316 is also useless for a knife.
If you don't have experience in a metal-bashing workshop don't mess about with angle grinders, they have some very nasty habits. Blinding you and anyone else in the vicinity, chopping off bits of your anatomy, setting fire to things (like your clothing) being just three of the bad habits that spring to mind right away.
My advice is to sell the bit of stainless, buy a knife and get in the woods.
Cars have a notoriety for being dangerous also
. I can't imagine with a little common sense applied an angle grinder will be any more risky than driving to work. Blinding (eyewear?), chopping (dead man switch and appropriate clothing?), fire (used in an uncluttered area wearing again, appropriate clothing)?
Anyway, playing with knives in woods is dangerous too!
But seriously, I bought some O1 tool steel a while after seeing some of the immense creations on here and having the opinion that using a home made knife would carry so much more satisfaction.
As for the stainless... Shame it's pretty worthless as I was really keen on the idea of hacking out my own crook knife.
Again though, as you have suggested...
If I didn't buy an angle grinder, etc. I could just buy a crook knife save time and effort and get something that just works...
Still a shame though
Could have been fun and satisfying to replace the mora with my own, blood sweat and tears, hand made knife (the O1 stuff) and my own, blood sweat and tears, crook knife made from a salvaged piece of metal....
On the plus side, I did my bit for the environment and picked up someone elses rubbish.
