Damascus blades

justold52 · Post by **justold52** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 11:17 pm

I don't under stand why in the post of EVERY DAY CARRY knives. Not a one person said or showed any knives with Damascus blades. I do not have a knife with that type of blade yet. I thought they were to be the super blade that would hold a shard edge. Yet out of all the reply post not any one used a one. Are they just for looks?

Can some of you set me straight on this? Befor I buy one.

olderdogs1 · Post by **olderdogs1** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 10:57 pm

I have a few damascus blade knives, boker's handmade in Germany. I have not sharpened them but one of them is a bird knife that I did use to clean a few quail. Did a nice job but way too expensive for me to use as an everyday carry. Mine say they were made with 300 layers of steel and are supposed to be easy to sharpen but hold an edge. I have had some cheaper ones, a couple Bear Brand knives that are cheap enough to use for everyday use but did not sharpen those either. They didn't appear to be of the same quality as the bokers. I don't think they are commonly used for everyday carry but I think they would fill the bill for quality if one chose to do so. They are nice to look at which I believe is what most collectors, myself included, actually do with them.

Hukk · Post by **Hukk** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 11:25 pm

You do bring an interesting point. I have many Damascus blade knives (only one Bulldog) some are not meant to use, they are objects of art and would be very poor users at anything. Some are meant to use, I just happen to have non Damascus knives that are my preferred every day carriers. If I do happen to find a Damascus steel knife that fits my personal criteria for an every day user I will use it. You have to be careful, there is a lot of "FAKE" Damascus on the market. A lot of this fake stuff has merely been acid etched, Fox and Hound

is a company that makes this, etched with just another day in the woods or something like that. The dead give away was to look along the top of the spine, NOTHING but smooth steel on that one, NO lines at all-there should be, if it's real.

e3ck · Post by **e3ck** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 12:10 pm

Hukk is most correct, there are alot of fakes out there. If I were to buy a damascus blade I'd get it from a knowing source or repitable maker. I would want to know what steels were used more than how many layers. A damascus blade is like a fingerprint.

El Lobo · Post by **El Lobo** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 2:00 pm

Just for Ken,

Here is one that I wear whenever I choose to wear a neck knife. Yes, I have used it...but not abused it.

In my opinion, a folded and welded, or laminated steel (Damascus type or Wootz) blade isn't necessarily a "better" blade than any other well made blade. They do allow for some striking and/or progressive patterns, which many collectors seem to prefer over plain steel, especially on modern knives.

Usually, a couple different types of high carbon content steels, and an etching component, are used to create contrast. Often, some nickle is added for toughness.
There is also a stainless "Damascus" (like Damasteel brand, for one) that has become popular. So there are differences. Also, a well made blade is a good thing

...but a poorly done blade is still just poorly done, whether is stainless, carbon rich, or Damascus.

I guess one answer about EDC and Damascus is...that it usually costs more, so a lot of folks don't want to screw it up. Then it becomes art...rather than a tool.

JMO

Bill

sunburst · Post by **sunburst** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 12:00 am

I have one Damascus fixed blade which I have used quite often and have not taken care off as good as I should have..!!

I found some information on Damascus from the maker of this fixed blade that you might find interesting or helpful...

The following information comes from Ray Rantanen Custom Knives..

Today’s average prices, in the US, for blade quality Damascus steel knives, ranges from $175 to $250 a blade inch with some makers getting near $1000 per blade inch. There is a lot of Damascus steel that is inferior steel, much of it imported. Just because it is Damascus does not necessarily mean it is a good knife. A quality Damascus knife is a thing of beauty, strength, integrity and is unique from all other knives.
The final price depends on the width and length of the blade and any special handle materials.

SHARPENING DAMASCUS:

When the Damascus is put into the acid it is sharpened first. After the acid etching the blade is resharpened with 320 grit sanding belt on a 1 x 42 inch belt sander. Then it is sharpened on a 600 to 1100 grit worn belt. The cutting edge is placed so that it is facing the belt – the belt is moving towards the cutting edge. After several passes the blade is stropped on leather, resharpened, stropped again until it has an edge sharper than a scalpel. Stropping breaks off any wire edge that is developed on the edge from the sharpening.

This is the state you should receive your Damascus knife. As the mild steel wears away faster than the other two high carbon components, a miniature saw is created at the cutting edge. After a while the minute saw teeth become misaligned a bit. Now, with two gentle strokes per side on the ceramic rod the knife will be shaving sharp again. This is done by holding the ceramic rod in the left hand. Put the heel, near the guard, of the blade on the rod at about a 20-degree angle. Draw the blade from heel to tip gently and slowly with very little pressure. Do not try to remove metal, just use a light pressure from heel to tip. Do the other side, and then repeat once more. The edge on your Damascus when you receive it has a uniform angle the whole length of the blade. So sharpening should be easy. If the blade becomes hard to sharpen this angle needs to be reset as I do on belt grinder. I recommend you send it to me for cost of postage and I will resharpen it.

Serrated edges are another story. These should be sharpened on a triangle cross-section set of ceramic rods supplied by Spyderco Company. The knife blade should be held vertically and drawn from heel to tip down the ceramic rod, alternating each side. Each individual serration does not need to be filed or worked with a stone.

Occasionally, the Damascus blade and the brass fittings should be cleaned. To clean the blade use a piece of worn 600 grit sandpaper and sand lightly lengthwise on the blade. This will polish the raised portions of the pattern and make the blade look brighter. I use Flitz metal cleaner on the blade after it is sanded and also on the brass and handle tang metal that is exposed. This cleaner will clean all metals. Any brass cleaner should work on the brass pieces. WD-40, Birchwood Casey gunstock wax, Johnson’s paste wax, Vaseline, or vegetable oil will also work on the blade.

And for those that are ready for a new damascus here is a start...

http://customknives.com/don_morrow_david_h.htm

e3ck · Post by **e3ck** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 1:42 am

These did well, 136 layer 1095/O-1 15n20
No more special treatment than any other carbon steel.

CarlM · Post by **CarlM** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 2:19 am

I think Case made a mini trapper in the late 80's with dasmascus. One of the
more knowledgeable case guys here could tell you for sure.

CCBill · Post by **CCBill** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 3:07 am

Here's a(sorry) picture of a 5254D, made in 1996 and a Roger's bone mini trapper, made in 1989.
...CCBill...

justold52 · Post by **justold52** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 11:23 am

Super guys

Here again you all come to my aid.
Nice of you to take the time to show me some Damascuc too.

Now if I under stand correct this knife would not be one to buy then.
Because it might be poor or fake. I don’t see the lines or as you might say art work on the whole blade?

sunburst · Post by **sunburst** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 11:51 am

Hey Ken,

Weidmannsheil is a pretty well known brand out of Germany that went out of business and the rights to the brand were purchased by Jim Parker of Bulldog. They are currently manufactured in the same factory as Bulldog, FightN Rooster and others by the Olbertz factory.

I personally do not know much about their quality in damascus maybe some others will know ?? One thing that does jump out though is that the tang on the knife you have in the picture has mispelled weidmannsheil...

e3ck · Post by **e3ck** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 1:09 pm

It looks like real damascus too me . There even appears to be a tiny weld crack in the edge near the ricaso.

Good damascus basicly comes down to the steels used.
You can make it from any two or more steels that will forgeweld togeather, however as with any steel the heat treating process is the final result. If two or more steels are used that, by themselves, make a good knife, you're gonna have a good piece of steel.

justold52 · Post by **justold52** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 1:41 pm

Boker Knives - Profiler, Buffalo Horn Handle, Plain Edgew Faux Damascus Blade only $15.00. At AAPK Blades.com

Now this looks real good to me. I like Boker and at this price how can it not be an every day carry. Do you think Boker like this one is made in China? Even if it is will it out do Steel Warrior and Rough Rider for an every day carry knife?

I dont want to make any one mad. How can I go WRONG ?

jonet143 · Post by **jonet143** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 1:43 pm

hey ken, i got a sales list from parker a while back and he was selling those knives at very low price because they had tooled up with the mis-spelling.

El Lobo · Post by **El Lobo** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 2:03 pm

Ken,

Just as an aside, the Boker you pictured has an Imitation (Faux) Damascus blade, just in case you missed that. Boker does make some Damascus bladed knives...but they won't be priced like that, my friend, not even from our good friend Bryan.

Bill

Hukk · Post by **Hukk** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 4:59 pm

jonet143 wrote:hey ken, i got a sales list from parker a while back and he was selling those knives at very low price because they had tooled up with the mis-spelling.

If I remember correctly he sold them as RARE factory errors and the catalog price at that time was around $80.00 or so.

El Lobo · Post by **El Lobo** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 5:13 pm

RARE...RARE...Come one, come all, beat the rush!!

Nothing quite like turning lemons into lemonade.

Sigh.

Bill (feeling surly today)

jonet143 · Post by **jonet143** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 5:57 pm

hey darrell, i have nearly all parker's lists except that one. i thought he was "offering" them at a discount. but whatever, they are showing up for sale just as a lot of his manufactured history knives do. now they are 'rare". there is a market and he will exploit it.

hey bill, he's made a lot of lemonade knives.

9ball · Post by **9ball** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 7:03 pm

JP was still with Case at this time.
I remember looking them over, but I would not pay what they wanted. Seems like I remember some other Case Damascus Knives also, same time frame.
Not postive on that though.

9ball

justold52 · Post by **justold52** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 1:25 am

Thanks guys I just love how this gets things snowballing.
Bill thanks too for the up date on the Imitation (Faux) Damascus. I did not under stand that Faux ment Imitation. Bill (feeling surly today) but he helped me some. So keep felling good man.

All About Pocket Knives

Damascus blades

Damascus blades

Damascus blades

Damascus blades

misspelling

Damascus blades