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Damascus for daily carry???
- Thread starter Bo
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 1, 1999
- Messages
- 6,490
Bo,
I'll be the first to admit, I don't know a lot about the comparative qualities of all the different types of steel available. These Forums do have real experts, available to you. What I do know is this, if Damascus can be used for ABS Master Smith qualification, it goes right to the top of the list in the Great Steel category. The makers who forge their own Damascus, I'm sure do it not for just the beauty, but for ultimate performance. For every day carry, why not? It might take a little more care, for me that would be a plus, any reason to handle a knife more is just fine.
I'll be the first to admit, I don't know a lot about the comparative qualities of all the different types of steel available. These Forums do have real experts, available to you. What I do know is this, if Damascus can be used for ABS Master Smith qualification, it goes right to the top of the list in the Great Steel category. The makers who forge their own Damascus, I'm sure do it not for just the beauty, but for ultimate performance. For every day carry, why not? It might take a little more care, for me that would be a plus, any reason to handle a knife more is just fine.
I used to have a Crawford Mini-Kasper in SS Devin Thomas ladder pattern damascus. It was a beautiful knife and when I bought it I was intending for it to be a high class user. However over time, I became paranoid about scratching up the finish, so I sold it. Now I use a SwissTool for utility.
Axel
Axel
I do not mean for a hard use work knife, I mean more for my dress up knife. I have always had a pocket knife of some sort with me at all times but I am new to the higher end knives. I have discovered that the better knives are a joy to use. This discovery has cost me alot of money which I blame on Bladeforums, but that a complaint for another thread.
I have been looking at some Damascus folders for my occasional carry and I am just trying to do my homework on them. What special treatment or precations are required.
Thanks
I have been looking at some Damascus folders for my occasional carry and I am just trying to do my homework on them. What special treatment or precations are required.
Thanks
- Joined
- Jun 26, 1999
- Messages
- 1,148
It depends on the steel(s) that the blade is made from. If made from 1095, 1084 or some other carbon steel treat just like a blade made from only one of those steels. If stainless treat like stainless. The beauty of these blades takes nothing from them being a user.
If the steel is well made you should have no problems with the knife.
Dwight
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This post is a natural product.
The slight variations in spelling and grammar enhance its individual character and beauty and in no way are to be considered flaws or defects.
If the steel is well made you should have no problems with the knife.
Dwight
------------------
This post is a natural product.
The slight variations in spelling and grammar enhance its individual character and beauty and in no way are to be considered flaws or defects.
If a damascus enters the Good Steel cathegory depends largely oh the steels that went into it. By definition damascus is a pattern welded laminat of a minimum of two different steels. The design you get by etching the blade is a result of the different composition of the steels leading to a different acid attack.
There are a lot of relatively cheap small blades on the worldwide market coming from india, which are made from scrap steel. They may have some distinct watering but the quality of these blades normally is very bad. On the other side there are damascus blades forged (and heat treated!) with great care by top damascus smiths or knifemakers from two or more top-class steels. These blades can be of very high quality and good all-day users as well.
To say it in short: Only buy damascus blades if you can get informations on the steels they are made from.
If you don't like to take a lot of care for your knives, try some stainless damascus for your using knives. I think there must be some knivemakers in the USA working with stainless. Over here in germany we have Fritz Schneider making stainless damascus knives and selling billets of this material and we can get Damasteel powder metallurgic damascus from sweden here. I have made about twenty knives from Damasteel material and have had very good edge holding results and no staining problems at all, even with bloodspots from hunting on them for several days. The two steels used in it are RWL 34 (= ATS 34) and PMC 27 (= 12C27 Sandvik). Both very good stainless knive steels.
Achim
There are a lot of relatively cheap small blades on the worldwide market coming from india, which are made from scrap steel. They may have some distinct watering but the quality of these blades normally is very bad. On the other side there are damascus blades forged (and heat treated!) with great care by top damascus smiths or knifemakers from two or more top-class steels. These blades can be of very high quality and good all-day users as well.
To say it in short: Only buy damascus blades if you can get informations on the steels they are made from.
If you don't like to take a lot of care for your knives, try some stainless damascus for your using knives. I think there must be some knivemakers in the USA working with stainless. Over here in germany we have Fritz Schneider making stainless damascus knives and selling billets of this material and we can get Damasteel powder metallurgic damascus from sweden here. I have made about twenty knives from Damasteel material and have had very good edge holding results and no staining problems at all, even with bloodspots from hunting on them for several days. The two steels used in it are RWL 34 (= ATS 34) and PMC 27 (= 12C27 Sandvik). Both very good stainless knive steels.
Achim