Ray, A36 is mild steel
A6 is actually a tool steel.
Good advice on the steels to use though. Also a good piece of advice is to beware of mystery steels. There are many steels out there that some makers use like old Black Diamond Nicholson files, a fave of mine btw and I have several earmarked for knives. BUT, there are leaf springs, mower blades and saw blades, etc. that many new makers try to make knives from. My brother called me last night asking about some 1968 chevy truck leaf springs and all I could tell him was to experiment, plus he knows better. Maybe 5160 steel, maybe not. Better to forge O1 than mystery steel. I do forge O1, but I cannot say I am squeezing the best out of it in a forge. Temperature in a forge isn't a known factor, just a guessed factor, but I can make a pretty nice knife out of a file in one as well as O1.
Practice with small squares of the steel you are going to use Treven and see what the hardness and flexibility you can get out of them is with some simple tests you can do. We call them coupons, as that is what they look like. First though is to study the heat treat requirements of the steel you settle with. Then follow them as close as you can with a forge. Many Youtube videos, but I recommend you buy Ray's DVDs on forging and how to build a good forge.
Start right with all the knowledge you can get and Ray's videos everybody I hear rave about how good they are. There is also Ed Caffrey's videos and school too. Spend your money wisely up front and that is to acquire the best knowledge available to you. Just saying.