Any Special Care needed for Damascus?

Oil the steel as you would any carbon steel. Paste wax the ivory, and don't subject it to extreme temperature changes.
Bill
 
Rub 100% glycerin soap on the edge on both sides. You can get it at a health food store, co-op, or supp-store. It is 100% vegetable oil. Oil will work its' way into the laminate and make them separate. Oil will make it look bad eventually. If you use glycerin soap you wont have to worry about slicing skin off.
 
Strange. First I've heard of that! The layers are welded together.
Bill
 
well isnt vegetable oil in the soap oil afterall? if you say oil is bad for damascus then isnt vegetable oil just as bad?

confused at your answer.
 
and while I am asking, when I rub oil on the blade some dark stains come off on the rag. is this just an after effect and will rub off, or would this go on forever until it begins to erode the 1095 I assume?

the blade is slightly rough, normal I think, and just want to know how best to care for the blade.
 
The blades are etched to bring out the patterns in the steel. What you are rubbing off is some of the oxides from the etching. The steel will not erode, but it will become lighter with further abrasion.
Bill
 
That has to be steel between the nickel layers that is bleeding from the liquid oil. Keep the oil on the edge only and use soap and water to clean it. Any knife should be dried thourghly after every use. Glycerin soap is soft in form and not liquid.
 
SOG
Would you care to explain how steel "bleeds"?
Bill
 
sog said:
Oil will work its' way into the laminate and make them separate.
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Properly forged damascus isn't like laminated wood where you can break the bond if you dissolve the glue. There is essentially no "glue" in the damascus, it is all steel. Oil will not cause a damascus blade to delaminate.

-Cliff
 
Bill DeShivs said:
The blades are etched to bring out the patterns in the steel. What you are rubbing off is some of the oxides from the etching. The steel will not erode, but it will become lighter with further abrasion.
Bill
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Right. Oxidation would be a perfect discription of what I was seeing. Thanks. It is my first Damascus blade, so wasnt sure what it would be like.

Restoration paste wax was what I was thinking of using. Museums use it for old stuff from swords to dino bones.

"works it's way into the laminate and makes them seperate" ! Thats rich!
 
I wouldn't recommend wax (Rennaissance or other) on your blade. While it will not harm it, the wax will possibly make it look funny-kind of like waxing that matte black tape on your car.
Bill
 
Please don't use water to any degree on a carbon damascus blade unless you plan on seeing rust form or you are very very through in drying it then using something to displace the moisture that will remain after drying and putting a good coat of oil on it afterwards. ;).

I prety much store my damascus blades with a heavy coat of oil and some of them are well over 10 years old with no problems at all.

Ivory does need care. A stable environment is it's best friend and a good soak in baby oil every six months or so will keep it from drying and checking. Old ivory will be much more stable, but it does need care no matter how old it is.
 
I asked the same question at a knife show - actually at the BAR afterwards...

I was told by some excellent knifemakers that I should rub some BLOOD on the knife to intentionally "tarnish" it.

We were talking about a knife that would be being USED, though.

Also, I don't think anyone's mentioned it, but it matters if it's a carbon or stainless damascus. I don't think stainless damascus required anything.

I'd welcome further discussion too, because I have a custom balisong on order that will have a carbon damascus blade that I'll probably be carrying and using.

.
 
A Case damascus stockman & razor pattern are part of my EDC. I have yet to put any oil or anything on the blades for the purpose of preventing rust. I do put a drop of oil on the joints, and may draw the edge through a piece of wax to protect the freshly polished/sharpened steel, but the blade body doesn't really need anything unless you're sweating your clothes wet.

The dark patina left by the etching process is its own sort of protective layer. The reason you'd apply oil to plain carbon blades is to keep them from getting a tarnish/patina at all, but it's already built in with damascus. And if you did get a bit of tarnish, how would you even know? The dark color and wavy surface pattern do a good job of hiding that sort of thing.
 
Bill DeShivs said:
SOG
Would you care to explain how steel "bleeds"?
Bill
Click to expand...

The oil cannot get between the layers unless it is improperly made. Oil will however (IMO) break down the molecules at the surface and make the lines irregular. The whole reason for Damascus is to give the blade superior stain resistance. They did that so you dont have to put anything on the blade to protect it. I'm very careful what i do to an expensive blade (even when i use it, but use it i will even if it messes up the blade cause that is what it is made for).
 
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