There are a lot of other tool steels other than siver steel and HSS.
The O series and A series all can be machined readily in their annealed state with HSS tooling. They are also able to be heat treated in the home shop. The heat treatment and tempering is a bit more involved, but quite doable with a suiable heat source and an infrared thermomenter and a clock - oh, and patience

On the other hand, hardended toolsteels can also be machined: for turning and milling I use Cermet inserts (not carbide). They will cut anything up to HSS but do NOT like interrupted cuts. So you need a rigid machine. ANY chatter and the tip is chipped.
I've turned ball bearings for example on a number of occasions and modified high carbon steel tooling a few times that way. They are surprisingly inexpensive by the way, in some sizes cheaper than carbide tips.
Lastly, if you get a Cubic Boron Nitrate (CBN or Borazon) grinding wheel, you can shape HSS very quickly into any shape you like. NOT damond! It dissolves in the steel at grinding speeds. It is purely for tungsten carbide or ceramics (or any metal as long as you make no sparks - think hand finishing only).
Cheers,
Joe