Damascus
- Thread starter Ward H.
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Radio
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These days,a good Damascus blade is prized more for it's looks and fine craftsmanship than anything else IMO. In older times, a Damascus blade was superior at holding an edge, but modern metals have caught up, or in some cases even eclipsed it in hardness and edge holding. There are a ton of cheap Chinese machine made Damascus blanks on the market right now, but the metal, and therefore the edge holding capability are of inferior quality. To have the best Damascus blade, it should be hand forged and oil quenched. I'm not a knife expert, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express
If I get a minute I will load a pic of mine to an image host and post it up
If I get a minute I will load a pic of mine to an image host and post it up
Originally Posted By: RadioThese days,a good Damascus blade is prized more for it's looks and fine craftsmanship than anything else IMO. In older times, a Damascus blade was superior at holding an edge, but modern metals have caught up, or in some cases even eclipsed it in hardness and edge holding. There are a ton of cheap Chinese machine made Damascus blanks on the market right now, but the metal, and therefore the edge holding capability are of inferior quality. To have the best Damascus blade, it should be hand forged and oil quenched. I'm not a knife expert, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express
If I get a minute I will load a pic of mine to an image host and post it up
Radio has got it right here. A damascus knife is only as good as the steels it made up from, and those steels are only as good as the heat treatment they receive. With any knife steel, the quality of the knife is mostly dictated by the heat treatment it gets. A plain jane steel that has a dead on heat treatment will always out perform a knife with the latest super steel that the maker missed the heat treatment on.
Today, damascus is pretty much aesthetically pleasing and that is about it. I personally enjoy making it and if done well, it is very beautiful.
If I get a minute I will load a pic of mine to an image host and post it up
Radio has got it right here. A damascus knife is only as good as the steels it made up from, and those steels are only as good as the heat treatment they receive. With any knife steel, the quality of the knife is mostly dictated by the heat treatment it gets. A plain jane steel that has a dead on heat treatment will always out perform a knife with the latest super steel that the maker missed the heat treatment on.
Today, damascus is pretty much aesthetically pleasing and that is about it. I personally enjoy making it and if done well, it is very beautiful.
Radio
New member
Originally Posted By: ForgerOriginally Posted By: RadioThese days,a good Damascus blade is prized more for it's looks and fine craftsmanship than anything else IMO. In older times, a Damascus blade was superior at holding an edge, but modern metals have caught up, or in some cases even eclipsed it in hardness and edge holding. There are a ton of cheap Chinese machine made Damascus blanks on the market right now, but the metal, and therefore the edge holding capability are of inferior quality. To have the best Damascus blade, it should be hand forged and oil quenched. I'm not a knife expert, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express
If I get a minute I will load a pic of mine to an image host and post it up
Radio has got it right here. A damascus knife is only as good as the steels it made up from, and those steels are only as good as the heat treatment they receive. With any knife steel, the quality of the knife is mostly dictated by the heat treatment it gets. A plain jane steel that has a dead on heat treatment will always out perform a knife with the latest super steel that the maker missed the heat treatment on.
Today, damascus is pretty much aesthetically pleasing and that is about it. I personally enjoy making it and if done well, it is very beautiful.
Thanks Forger!
Here are a couple of quick and dirty pics of the one I just had made for me. I carry a Kershaw Speed Bump as my EDC and love the blade shape so much I had the knife maker duplicate it as close as possible.
The blade is 5 1/2 inches from bolster to tip with oversize Elk horn scales to fit my bearpaw hands.
You can't see it very well in the pic, but the top side of the drop point is feathered to the tip, but not so much as to be sharp.
The blade shape is the best I have ever used for skinning larger game. Might be overkill on Yotes though
I always wanted a really nice Damascus knife and finally got the chance at one. I am a Silversmith, so did a jewelry barter with a custom knife maker to do this one for me
If I get a minute I will load a pic of mine to an image host and post it up
Radio has got it right here. A damascus knife is only as good as the steels it made up from, and those steels are only as good as the heat treatment they receive. With any knife steel, the quality of the knife is mostly dictated by the heat treatment it gets. A plain jane steel that has a dead on heat treatment will always out perform a knife with the latest super steel that the maker missed the heat treatment on.
Today, damascus is pretty much aesthetically pleasing and that is about it. I personally enjoy making it and if done well, it is very beautiful.
Thanks Forger!
Here are a couple of quick and dirty pics of the one I just had made for me. I carry a Kershaw Speed Bump as my EDC and love the blade shape so much I had the knife maker duplicate it as close as possible.
The blade is 5 1/2 inches from bolster to tip with oversize Elk horn scales to fit my bearpaw hands.
You can't see it very well in the pic, but the top side of the drop point is feathered to the tip, but not so much as to be sharp.
The blade shape is the best I have ever used for skinning larger game. Might be overkill on Yotes though
I always wanted a really nice Damascus knife and finally got the chance at one. I am a Silversmith, so did a jewelry barter with a custom knife maker to do this one for me