Can Damascus hold a good edge?

cbach8tw

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Jan 9, 2006
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I know this is showing my lack of knowledge, but can Damascus blades hold a god edge?what RCA hardness can be achieved to keep a good edge? I have always wondered since hearing Damascus may not be too hard.
 
Depends upon the composition of the damascus and the skills of the person who heat treated the blade. I have one damascus knife in L6 and 1095, made by Muller Forge. I use it regularly and it has and holds an excellent edge. Jody Muller said it was about 60R in hardness and it behaves that way. There is no chipping, I've used it regularly for 10 years.
 
Damascus is a general term.
It's much more important to know what the damascus is made of.
L6, 01, 1095, 1084, 15n20, are all popular steels for making damascus.

If heat treated properly it will perform just fine.
 
if forged and heat treated properly damascus or pattern welded steel will be as good as the steels used in making the damascus.
 
When making Damascus, do you have to choose steels that will have similar heat treats? Or, since your making two or more steels into one, does the heat treat change completely?
 
Jos I hope you were kidding.

Chris, it is best if you combine steels with similar heat treating properties.
 
This guy on youtube knows all about damascus steel... ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35yGsIQa1aw

Kind regards,

Jos
Wow. Just wow. And he has the nerve to thank the viewer for subscribing to his channel.

Fail on every level: Presentation, content, and knowlege. LOL!

(Knives with Pakistani damascus are probably all too soft, and that's a probable source of this rumour. They give good makers a bad rap.)

Coop
 
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