Any Damasteel users here?

SavageSick

SavageSick

Joined
Mar 24, 2017
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I always dual-carry: one 3 incher with super steel & one 3.5++ incher with Damasteel. I always reserve my damasteel folder for the more delicate tasks.

Regarding Damasteel, anybody have any empirical remarks on edge-retention & etch-retention (hard-use)?
 
I only use mine for lighter tasks as all mine are customs but if the heat treat protocol is correct, you should have excellent use.
 
We have a customer who bought a Damasteel Southern Grind Spider Monkey. He uses it all the time and has beaten it pretty hard. Loves it and swears by it. Next time he comes in the shop I will get a pic of it for you!
 
:p actually I don't use it in the sense of heavy use, nut it works fine and I am certainly satisfied with edge retention.
What did you say the hardness was? 60?
 
Been using a damasteel straight razor(speaking of hard-use :D) for nearly a year, had to resharpen it once. The VG10 I had before I had to resharpen 3 times or so(to put it into perspective).
IMO the RWL-34 really is quite a few notches above 154CM
 
I've built several hard use cowboy knives from it. No complaints and have built more later for those same customers. I have also built quite a few dedicated hunters and skinners and those customers also keep ordering more. Its spendy though, so a somewhat limited market. My customers have tended to go high end with handle materials too. That being said, the customers tend to be globe trotting sportsmen. They know what they want, can afford what they want, and have ordered these.

Hunters:

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Ranching EDCs:

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Interested in learning more and excuse my ignorance.

The manufacturing process of this PM stainless is fascinating, and the visual pattern beautiful IMO.

Everything I'm reading has RWL34 as the "primary" steel but it's attributes are blended to create a modified final specification.

How the final "Damasteel" properties (edge retention, hardness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance) stack up to know products like M390, S35VN, ELMAX and other PM stainless knife steel attributes are not clear to me.

The benefit of PM steels is having the component elements evenly distributed throughout. Damasteel is not that in my mind, given the inherent patterning.

Again, would like to better understand if it's a looker or performer or both.
 
whitty said:
We have a customer who bought a Damasteel Southern Grind Spider Monkey. He uses it all the time and has beaten it pretty hard. Loves it and swears by it. Next time he comes in the shop I will get a pic of it for you!
Click to expand...
I would love that...

This is my daily driver:
PLsuNb8.jpg


FWIW, this extreme tanto/compound grind is EXTREMELY useful! Almost two knives in one package.
 
SV-97 said:
Been using a damasteel straight razor(speaking of hard-use :D) for nearly a year, had to resharpen it once. The VG10 I had before I had to resharpen 3 times or so(to put it into perspective).
IMO the RWL-34 really is quite a few notches above 154CM
Click to expand...
...Damasteel straight razor?! Dear Lord, please share pictures!
 
Eagle Scout said:
Interested in learning more and excuse my ignorance.

The manufacturing process of this PM stainless is fascinating, and the visual pattern beautiful IMO.

Everything I'm reading has RWL34 as the "primary" steel but it's attributes are blended to create a modified final specification.

How the final "Damasteel" properties (edge retention, hardness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance) stack up to know products like M390, S35VN, ELMAX and other PM stainless knife steel attributes are not clear to me.

The benefit of PM steels is having the component elements evenly distributed throughout. Damasteel is not that in my mind, given the inherent patterning.

Again, would like to better understand if it's a looker or performer or both.
Click to expand...

To simplify the process they use RWL 34 and PC 27 an in house version of 12C27 (a bit of a chemical difference) but it is a powdered version.

From there they basically do the same and forge the damasteel pattern as any other forger.

The thing that makes it so impressive is they forge two powdered steels consistantly with very few inclusions.

Cost in steel comes from the effort in purity. Removing all the inclusions etc is what can really drive up costs.

Wear resistance is similar to RWL-34 from my experience. The PC27 part is between 59-60 when the RWL part is 60-61 if I remember correctly so they are close in HRC and you will barely notice the difference in use.
 
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marthinus said:
To simplify the process they use RWL 34 and PC 27 an in house version of 12C27 (a bit of a chemical difference) but it is a powdered version.

From there they basically do the same and forge the damasteel pattern as any other forger.

The thing that makes it so impressive is they forge two powdered steels consistantly with very few inclusions.

Cost in steel comes from the effort in purity. Removing all the inclusions etc is what can really drive up costs.

Wear resistance is similar to RWL-34 from my experience. The PC27 part is between 59-60 when the RWL part is 60-61 if I remember correctly so they are close in HRC and you will barely notice the difference in use.
Click to expand...

Damasteel pattern are made via PM process. There are no any forge welding involve like ordinary damascus.
 
shqxk said:
Damasteel pattern are made via PM process. There are no any forge welding involve like ordinary damascus.
Click to expand...
To my knowledge the layers of RWL34 & PMC27 are hotrolled.
The various patterns forms from either twisting or other mechanical methods, before rolled into bars.

IMGP6323.JPG

Damasteel makes me think CPM 154.
They feel fairly close in comparision.
Truly great steels both of them!

Regards
Mikael
 
marthinus said:
I will have too follow up with our supplier to verify but I am sure they forge it.

They have posted on their Instagram page some of the forging process:

https://instagram.com/p/BV4tiSaFdhE/

https://instagram.com/p/BV90l9uFKjP/
Click to expand...

They stack layers of powder RWL-34 and PMC27 in the capsule before hot isostatic pressing into a solid piece and then twisting or rolling to create pattern. So basically this is not a pattern welded steel like ordinary damascus. The structure are much more uniform than any other competitors. You will never heard damasteel ever has delamination problem because it's wasn't laminated in the first place.
 
shqxk said:
They stack layers of powder RWL-34 and PMC27 in the capsule before hot isostatic pressing into a solid piece and then twisting or rolling to create pattern. So basically this is not a pattern welded steel like ordinary damascus. The structure are much more uniform than any other competitors. You will never heard damasteel ever has delamination problem because it's wasn't laminated in the first place.
Click to expand...

Aah gotcha! Thanks.
 
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