1989 Buck 110 Damascus Stag

[awesomeusername]

I just bought one from Ebay and it was advertized as new / unused. It's in good condition, but the blade is dull. The blade should be sharp from the factory, right? Thanks in advance.

 

[Badhammer]

First off, welcome to the Bladeforums and the Buck Forum!!

As far as your question they usually are but once in a while you get one that isn't. Hasn't happened to me but that's what I've heard. IMO the odds are better that someone used the knife than that Buck didn't sharpen it.

 

[awesomeusername]

Thanks! I would think a damascus blade would be as sharp or even sharper than the standard blade.

 

[Stumps]

I sold a Vantage Force Pro as a used knife on the bay earlier this month. Within a week I saw the same knife being sold by the guy that bought it from me. He listed it as a new knife and even used my pictures for his auction.

 

[Buck300]

I sold a Vantage Force Pro as a used knife on the bay earlier this month. Within a week I saw the same knife being sold by the guy that bought it from me. He listed it as a new knife and even used my pictures for his auction.

Not a uncommon event on da bay.

 

[Skelator88]

I also had a few damascus 110s some were not sharp.

 

[DeSotoSky]

Redirecting this thread a bit. I've never owned a Damascus bladed knife.
Other than appearance, do they impart any enhanced edge holding performance.

 

[Stumps]

Redirecting this thread a bit. I've never owned a Damascus bladed knife.
Other than appearance, do they impart any enhanced edge holding performance.

My observations on the last 8 or 10 months I've carried a knife with Damascus blade.

I have a Damascus blade on my Paradigm that I carry a lot. I didn't like it when I first started using it, but have grown used to it now. I run it over my strop once in a while and it has stayed nice and sharp, but I haven't really used it hard even though I've carried it quite a while. Just everyday tasks that a retired guy can put it through.

I used Buck's S30V hard two summers ago and was really impressed with it's toughness.

 

[Alberta Ed]

Damascus is pretty stuff, if done right, but I doubt it would outperform today's steels. Buck's 420HC, which some people scoff at, is a tough, stain-resistant steel that takes a very good edge with little difficulty and holds it well enough to satisfy several millions of users over several decades. Buck also uses premium steels like S30V and CPM154, which are even better.

 

[justsomedude]

The general consensus is that a pattern welded (damascus) steel has no better properties than its component steels. There is one argument that the as the different component steels wear differently there will be "microserrations" on the edge that enhance cutting performance. In my experience, if that's true the effect is negligible.
True Damascus steel (the techniques and ore formula for which is not known to modern man) has tested positive for ultra-hard carbides including carbon nanotubes and therefore does, in theory, offer better properties than the average steel. Whether or not this is inherent to the folding process we associate with "damascus" steel or is due to the ore used and/or hardening is not known.
Wish I had sources for this info but, I don't really care enough to look them up.

The search tool is your friend regarding damascus.

To make this post remain relatively on-topic: I never have had a damascus Buck but I've bought several new Buck knives that came dull out of the box. I find that sharpness in general is the least consistent aspect of any production knife OOTB.