I need advice for working with Damascus steel!

The_Iron_Joe

The_Iron_Joe

Knifemaker, Jeweller. Custom Books Open!
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Ok, so I've got some bar stock I'm using for a project at college; I'm making a decorative fixed-blade knife out of AISI 1065 Damascus. I just wanted to ask if there was any particular step after grinding I have to take to 'reveal' the pattern besides polishing. This will be my first knife, so I'm pretty eager to begin work on the blade, but at the moment I don't know enough about working with it.

If there's any other information that would help, it'd be much appreciated!
 
After final grinding and surface polishing you need to etch the blade in an acidic solution to bring out the Damascus pattern. Knife guys use ferrous chloride? which you can find at radioshack, or you can use vinegar or other acid type solutions.
 
AISI 1065 Damascus. Just what is that. You can get some ferric chloride dilute it with say three parts of water and place your blade in there at a 600 grit finish and clean, for about 5 minutes check it out and see if etched enough for you or etch longer.
Rub your blade hard to clean with super fine steel wool, paper towels, cloths. or buff with a soft wheel with white or green rouge. Frank
 
Damascus is a mix of two or more steels with different reactions to an acid etch.

We're not quite sure what you have!

Try to CLEAN a piece and dip in vinager for a little bit to see what you have before spending to much time on it.

Best of luck
Cody
 
Cody Hofsomme said:
Damascus is a mix of two or more steels with different reactions to an acid etch.

We're not quite sure what you have!

Try to CLEAN a piece and dip in vinager for a little bit to see what you have before spending to much time on it.

Best of luck
Cody
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I'm pretty sure the mix includes at least 1065 carbon steel, and my guess as to the other would be nickel. I had no idea about the etching, thanks all. It'll have to wait until sometime later this week, but I'll try to post pics once I get the basic lines done.
 
Some patterns look better with bevels ground in and some look better with bevels forged in. Hardto say without seeing what ya got. Is this going to be a wall hanger or using knife?

Ferric chlorid, purchased for radio shack as PB etchent is probably what you want to etch it with. It's the standard. IIRC it's like $10-$15 and mix it 4:1 with distiled water. It will be enough etchent for MANY blades. Hundreds!!

Get us some pics or at least a description from where you got it and we will be aable to help you more.
 
This will be a decorative knife, for sure, I don't think I'll be bothering with heat-treating it. I'll post a pic of the bar stock tomorrow morning.

I got the steel from my local knife shop-- I can ask them if they know the exact composition Monday as well, since they're pretty much right beside my college.
 
Damascus etches better when it's hardend. It will be more defined etch. The place you got the steel from would be the place to ask about how to grind it for best look and they might also ht for you. A knife ain't a knife until its heat treated!
 
They don't have the facilities for heat-treatment, but I think my school does. I'll just ask the sculpture department real nicely. So, just to be sure I have the order correct... grind, harden, then etch?

I don't know if the guys at the shop will know about how to handle the steel, it's a retail store with some big brand names, some sharpening equipment, various quality swords, hatchets... large focus on retail sales. Beyond the manager there, I'm not sure they'd be of much help. So as far as opinions on how to grind it, maybe I'll wait until I get your reaction to some pictures of the steel itself.
 
No sir. Got it from Cutting Edge Cutlery in Calgary. I assume you got some from the Regina branch recently?
 
Haha no I was actually in the Regina store about a month or so ago killing time while my old lady was shopping, and saw a guy come in and buy a bar. I saw a slab there but didn't read much of the info. I do remember it saying 1065 but can't remember what the other steel was. I also remember thinking it was strange as Damascus steel usually uses a higher carbon content steel than that as the base. The billets I saw there came with a sheet of paper saying what the heat treating specs were though. If you didn't get one the store may have one there.
 
You asked if it's grind, harden, etch. You're on the right track. It's more like this--- :)

Grind
Harden
Temper
Finish Grind
Sand
Sand
Sand
Clean
Etch
Sand/polish
Etch
Sand/polish
Etch
Sand/polish

The way I do it is all in the thread in my sig line.
 
Grayzer86 said:
Haha no I was actually in the Regina store about a month or so ago killing time while my old lady was shopping, and saw a guy come in and buy a bar. I saw a slab there but didn't read much of the info. I do remember it saying 1065 but can't remember what the other steel was. I also remember thinking it was strange as Damascus steel usually uses a higher carbon content steel than that as the base. The billets I saw there came with a sheet of paper saying what the heat treating specs were though. If you didn't get one the store may have one there.
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I actually have that sheet at home [haven't been home for a few days], and I'm fairly certain it doesn't mention anywhere on it what the exact composition is. I'll check tonight anyway, I may have somehow missed reading it. The instructions it provides seem to be very useful though, I just wasn't sure if all steps were necessary, or even which order I would need to do them in. Since this will be both my first knife as well as more of a visual project, I'm concerned with form over function at the moment. :p

Strigamort said:
Am I the only one that's jealous of a local store like that?! I would spend sooo much $$ at a brick and mortar that stocked bar steel. :o
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I HAVE spent a ton of money there, but that was the second purchase that wasn't a knife, haha. They only have this 'AISI 1065 Damascus' steel at the moment. I may be able to convince the manager to bring in some stainless steels on special order if I ask nicely enough... maybe when I'm more used to this kind of thing.

Oh, and here are some pictures of the bar stock itself.

2013-09-30082929_zps73639145.jpg

2013-09-30082941_zps5a8d32b7.jpg
 
That WIP that Mr wheeler posted in his sig line is about 40 pages long, and every single page is worth reading multiple times. As far as I am concerned it is one of the most in depth, and precise build alongs that I have had the pleasure of reading.
 
Grayzer86 said:
That WIP that Mr wheeler posted in his sig line is about 40 pages long, and every single page is worth reading multiple times. As far as I am concerned it is one of the most in depth, and precise build alongs that I have had the pleasure of reading.
Click to expand...

I nearly missed that! Took too long uploading pictures.

NickWheeler said:
You asked if it's grind, harden, etch. You're on the right track. It's more like this--- :)

Grind
Harden
Temper
Finish Grind
Sand
Sand
Sand
Clean
Etch
Sand/polish
Etch
Sand/polish
Etch
Sand/polish

The way I do it is all in the thread in my sig line.
Click to expand...

Oh man, thanks for my reading for the day [read week]. Great resource!

EDIT; I don't have the resources to forge the steel like you do... but now I know that I probably do. :D It looks like way too much fun making blades that way. For now, I'm stuck with a grinder, haha.
 
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