Chris, try to get some 1080, or 1084. 1095 is not user friendly in heat treat, mostly due to the speed of quench it needs. 1095 has to drop in temp from 1475°/1500° to under 900° in .8 of one second to reach full hard and best structure. This requires a brine quench, or expensive commercial oil. You can squeak by with canola oil, but you will not achieve a really good heat treat. 1080/84 on the other hand can be easily HTed with simple equipment, and be expected to perform as good as poorly HTed 1095. HTing a 1095 frizzen is not as demanding as a blade. All you're looking for is hardness to throw sparks. With a blade you are after a good internal structure also, for strength and abrasion resistance.
Stock removal will produce as good of blade as forging. The steel does not care what method shapes it, but the HT is particular about how it is done.