Damascus steel - some info

[pfrsantos]

You might like this:



I did.

 

[SteveC]

Very interesting , thanks !

[Chako]

 

[jzmtl]

Damasteel (the Swedish company that makes stainless damascus) used to have a page on their site showing what process produces what sort of pattern, but seems they got rid of it. But in short random pattern is just layered steel hammered down, there are also two bars twisted around each other then hammered flat, and drilling a certain pattern on layered steel then hammered flat.

If whoever made that ever do a 2nd part on actual wootz steel production, I'd love to see that.

[Philby]

Damasteel (the Swedish company that makes stainless damascus) used to have a page on their site showing what process produces what sort of pattern, but seems they got rid of it. But in short random pattern is just layered steel hammered down, there are also two bars twisted around each other then hammered flat, and drilling a certain pattern on layered steel then hammered flat.

If whoever made that ever do a 2nd part on actual wootz steel production, I'd love to see that.

You might like this;

[sergemaster]

Amici,
Damascus steel, that's Latin for "rust magnet" because that's what will happen if you ever intend to use and not instantly clean and oil it before the dreaded "R" word sets in.. When it comes to Damascus, sure is mighty pretty to look at, but that's about it.. At least for my mojo..

Cheers,
Serge

[Corwyn]

Amici,
Damascus steel, that's Latin for "rust magnet" because that's what will happen if you ever intend to use and not instantly clean and oil it before the dreaded "R" word sets in.. When it comes to Damascus, sure is mighty pretty to look at, but that's about it.. At least for my mojo..

Cheers,
Serge

Not that knowledgeable in steels and never really pushed my Carl, but Victorinox seems to use Vinland - Martensitic which is shown to be stainless
http://www.damasteel.se/files/7014/1145/7994/Product_Information_Martensitic_Stainless_Damascus.pdf

Even my Paki-Laguiole's cheap Damascus hasn't shown an rust spots so far...

[Philby]

Amici,
Damascus steel, that's Latin for "rust magnet" because that's what will happen if you ever intend to use and not instantly clean and oil it before the dreaded "R" word sets in.. When it comes to Damascus, sure is mighty pretty to look at, but that's about it.. At least for my mojo..

Cheers,
Serge

Not that knowledgeable in steels and never really pushed my Carl, but Victorinox seems to use Vinland - Martensitic which is shown to be stainless
http://www.damasteel.se/files/7014/1145/7994/Product_Information_Martensitic_Stainless_Damascus.pdf

Even my Paki-Laguiole's cheap Damascus hasn't shown an rust spots so far...

Pakistan made 'Damascus' steel might be cheap, but isn't inferior. They've been making it in that part of the world for a very long time, possibly the first area to make it?

[Corwyn]

Speaking of which.. have you seen this before? http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/DC-CUSTOM-HANDMADE-Folding-Knife-Color-Damascus-Burl-Wood-24K-Screw-Sheath-FS/191527784840

It's kitschy but I kind of like it 

[Joseph Gonzalez]

Damascus is just like other steels. The corrosion resistance depends on what types of steels are in it and how they are heat-treated. I like the stainless damascus made by Devin Thomas out of AEB-L and 304. It usually gives an excellent edge and is very corrosion-resistant if you follow his directions. I sent a small billet of his spirograph-pattern damascus to a ring maker. When he made the first ring, he heat-treated it with a pair of pliers and a blowtorch. The section of steel covered by the pliers failed to reach the critical temperature and when I wore it, the ring began to rust in that one spot. I explained the issue to him and sent the remaining piece of the billet back so he could make a second ring for me. This time he used a furnace and got a nice even heat. I can wear that ring 24/7, even in the shower, and I don't have issues with rust. I also have a cuff bracelet, several pendants, and a few one-piece key ring tools made from the same steel that are similarly resistant to corrosion. At the end of the day, I place more importance on the combination of steel type and heat-treating/tempering than just the type of steel used.

[Kampfer]

Damascus is just like other steels. The corrosion resistance depends on what types of steels are in it and how they are heat-treated. I like the stainless damascus made by Devin Thomas out of AEB-L and 304. It usually gives an excellent edge and is very corrosion-resistant if you follow his directions. I sent a small billet of his spirograph-pattern damascus to a ring maker. When he made the first ring, he heat-treated it with a pair of pliers and a blowtorch. The section of steel covered by the pliers failed to reach the critical temperature and when I wore it, the ring began to rust in that one spot. I explained the issue to him and sent the remaining piece of the billet back so he could make a second ring for me. This time he used a furnace and got a nice even heat. I can wear that ring 24/7, even in the shower, and I don't have issues with rust. I also have a cuff bracelet, several pendants, and a few one-piece key ring tools made from the same steel that are similarly resistant to corrosion. At the end of the day, I place more importance on the combination of steel type and heat-treating/tempering than just the type of steel used.

 

[Grathr]

I just won a damscus slippie for $0,75 + shipping

Ill post pics when it arrives

[Ray S]

I don't know about the susceptibility of Damascus steels to rust. I have a Persian jambiya that was given to me many years ago by a good friend who owned a combination hobby shop/laundromat! This particular had sat in the laundromat part of the building for probably 25 years inside it's leather covered sheath inside a paper bag when I got it. There was no evidence of rust whatsoever on the blade. although the paper bag had deteriorated pretty badly. When it was appraised the gentleman dated it somewhere between 1630 to 1680. The ivory handle was well worn and cracked but still serviceable.The Damascus is an extremely fine random pattern. I had it looked at by a Boston knifemaker who specializes in creating Middle Eastern knives and he said it was the finest and most unusual one he had ever seen because of the companion dagger(also Damascus and carved ivory)in the wooden sheath that is covered with what looks like pigskin(highly unlikely;probably some type of lizard).
Here are a couple pictures of it including a closeup of the patterning in the blade.

[sLaughterMed]

I don't know about the susceptibility of Damascus steels to rust. I have a Persian jambiya that was given to me many years ago by a good friend who owned a combination hobby shop/laundromat! This particular had sat in the laundromat part of the building for probably 25 years inside it's leather covered sheath inside a paper bag when I got it. There was no evidence of rust whatsoever on the blade. although the paper bag had deteriorated pretty badly. When it was appraised the gentleman dated it somewhere between 1630 to 1680. The ivory handle was well worn and cracked but still serviceable.The Damascus is an extremely fine random pattern. I had it looked at by a Boston knifemaker who specializes in creating Middle Eastern knives and he said it was the finest and most unusual one he had ever seen because of the companion dagger(also Damascus and carved ivory)in the wooden sheath that is covered with what looks like pigskin(highly unlikely;probably some type of lizard).
Here are a couple pictures of it including a closeup of the patterning in the blade.

That's a beauty! So someone just left their 400 year old knife in a laundromat until you found it?

[Ray S]

That's a beauty! So someone just left their 400 year old knife in a laundromat until you found it?

Not quite. The gentleman who owned the store and I were friends and fellow collectors. I collected knives and he collected dealer promotional model cars among other things.The store was unique in that it was a laundromat in the sense that people brought laundry in to be cleaned but did not clean them by themselves.The front of the store was a combination hobby and joke shop.
I used to go in there to buy model cars and sometimes if he had a knife or two for sale I would buy them.Once I was given a Buck 110 folder that someone had broken the tip off.It wasn't much to re-profile and not a lot of the blade length was lost;maybe 1/4 inch.
I am not really a fan of Buck 110's as they are too handle heavy for my taste.When I showed the knife to Dick(the owner of the store)he said that he would like to buy it. I handed it to him and said it's yours with my compliments. He wanted to pay me but he had done me favors in the past and I was just reciprocating.
I didn't get down to the store for several months after that (busy season for my work)and when I finally did go in he dug out the knife and gave it to me. He said something about buying it from some guy for about $20 a long time before that who needed money and he figured I would enjoy it more than having it sit in the back room.
I had seen jambiyas before and the going rate for them back then was around $75 maximum but I had never seen one with a companion dagger and a sheath.
I showed it to a couple of knife collector friends but they had no info on it.I deduced that the cyphers on the blade and hilt were some form of Arabic lettering so that is when I started searching for someone to translate it.
Another friend who is a professor at a local university mentioned that he had an associate who could translate. it so I gave him the knife.
A couple weeks later I get a call from this other professor and the first thing he asks is if I'm interested in selling it.I told him I don't sell gifts so he then proceeds to tell me what the translation is and about how old it is.He couldn't read the cyphers on the handle because they were too worn but the blade says(the beginning verses of the Koran)" There is no god but the god Mohammed and I am his prophet" or something to that effect.He also states that is was from the Oman district of Syria and dates to between 1630 and 1680. He then offers me $1500 for it. I told him I STILL don't sell gifts.
I stopped back in to see Dick and told him what I had found out and he didn't seem surprised. I said that if I ever had to sell it I would give him half and he said he wasn't worried that I would ever sell it.
When I went to the next NCCA show I brought it along to show a couple of guys;one of whom was J.D,Smith who makes some of the finest Middle Eastern style knives ever and he said it was one of the most unusual ones he had ever laid eyes on;mainly because of the companion dagger.
So that is basically the story.