The reduction in H-2/CH4 atmosphere of aluminum-iron oxides produces metal particles small enough to catalyze the formation of single-walled carbon nanotubes. Several experiments have been made using the same temperature profile and changing only the maximum temperature (800-1070 degreesC). Characterizations of the catalyst materials are performed using notably Fe-57 Mossbauer spectroscopy. Electron microscopy and a macroscopical method are used to characterize the nanotubes. The nature of the iron species (Fe3+, alpha -Fe, gamma -Fe-C, Fe3C) is correlated to their location in the material. The nature of the particles responsible for the high-temperature formation of the nanotubes is probably an Fe-C alloy,which is, however, found as Fe3C by postreaction analysis. Increasing the reduction temperature increases the reduction yield and thus favors the formation of surface-metal particles, thus producing more nanotubes. The obtained carbon nanotubes are mostly single-walled and double-walled with an average diameter close to 2.5 nm. Several formation mechanisms are thought to be active. In particular, it is shown that the second wall can grow inside the first one but that subsequent ones are formed outside. It is also possible that under given experimental conditions, the smallest (<2 nm) catalyst particles preferentially produce double-walled rather than single-walled carbon nanotubes.