Newibe looking to get started, questions about stock (1095)

Edit - I meant "newbie," of course.

So a professional knife maker I had the privilege of speaking with a few weeks back recommended I start with 1095 CRA for making some knives. I went to Admiral Steel (having a hard time locating a good supplier, even in a relatively large city like Tucson...maybe I'm not looking in the right spots?), and found their pricing for [1095 Cold-Rolled Annealed](http://i.imgur.com/Hphwp30.png), which seems pretty reasonable (although shipping won't exactly be free).

So my question is around what dimensions I should be looking at. This will be my first project, and I'm looking to make some knives on a Harbor Freight 1x30 belt grinder. 1095 was recommended for price and the ability to heat treat w/o specialized equipment. I was looking at making some sort of kitchen/utility knife, potentially as all or part of my groomsmen gifts for my upcoming wedding.

That said, what thickness/dimensions would you recommend? The 3/32 is cheaper, of course, but would that be acceptable if I'm not making a large chef's knife or pig sticker? Should I just go with the 5/32 anyway? What about width - 2 inches gives me plenty to work with, but again, it's probably too big for my ideas.

Also, HF only carries 80 and 120 grit belts for the 1x30 - any recommendations on buying/making belts of finger grits? What about leather belts and such for polishing? (I do have a bench grinder and a Dremel that could help with tasks like this, potentially?)

Any and all feedback and help would be appreciated. Thanks!