CGG and Damascus care

TreesNoDummy

TreesNoDummy

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Aug 2, 2020
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Apologies from now if I’m beating a dead horse here, but I see so many conflicting opinions on older threads and I’m hoping to get a little help on 2 questions.

1. Just got the Join or Die small 21 CGG. Chris Reeve recommends lacquer thinner to maintain the graphic. Does anybody out there do this? How often do you do something like that on something that will be light/general edc use and really just pick up oils from my hand on the graphic?

2. Also just got a Chad Nichols Raindrop Mnandi. I ordered Ren Wax for the inlays. Should I actually use wd-40 on the blade? The Mnandi is going to see only the lightest of action - pocket candy for church - I’m Greek Orthodox so we get really dressed up on Sunday’s lol. How often do you guys treat the blade on an extremely lightly used knife?
 
I think the lacquer thinner is for restoring color to the anodizing that finger gunk fades. The Join or Die is just engraved, no anodizing. I don't think it requires any more care than a standard titanium slab. See Re 1 above.

After six months of use I have wiped my damascus a few times on my shirt. Still looking good. It's stainless. Use will slowly fade it. See Re 2 above.

Post a picture of your watch and CRK in the other thread, I want to see what Greek Orthodox Sunday watches look like with a damascus blade.
 
Haha thanks. Do you mean the Holy Grails thread? My suit edc is pretty snazzy now so I’m happy to share.
 
Post it right here or in the "Post your CRK carry knife for today" or the "The Watches CRK People Wear..." thread.

I was just wanting to see a suit, watch and blade in one fancy picture. When not working, I'm in jeans and t-shirt with a $750 knife art damascus 21 or something similar. I'm just fancy in one way, always loved nice blades. I have a few Seiko watches but those are fairly cheap and nothing very fancy.

I'm very lucky to be able to afford (I'm 39) many nice knives. If you are too so fortunate then I suggest getting a backup. I have backups of my favorites and this makes me feel so free to use them. One is to look at in it's always perfect form and one gets used as the knife was intended. It's the best of both worlds. Sort of a beauty and beast situation.

Also, get backups while you can. If I decided to get some of these today, it would be too late.
All left handed 21's (pass on inlayed versions) and the Nyala are gone, thank god I got my fair share while I could!
The Spyderco Bradley 2 and Sage 2 are gone
The Benchmade Anthem and Contego are gone
Several ZT's are gone

I'm getting so old all these new knives need to get off my damn lawn!!!! Several years have passed and there has been nothing new that I like. It's nice having some backup classics to hopefully see me into old age. This is a long post and it wandered some, sorry. Marijuana is legal in my state.
 
I gave it my best college try, but I'm way too tired to figure out how to fix it. I posted an imugr link - thanks for recommending that thread. I didn't even know it existed! Collecting watches and a knives is really an obsession. I have a plain jane sebenza that is probably my most carried. I recently got a ZT0562ti but I'm not really in love with it. My camo/black PM2 is a mainstay in the collection. I recently got a Speedmaster Moonwatch, and that's been a great update to my watch collection, even if it's fairly ubiquitous among collectors.
 
Learn to carry your CRK’s in a pocket sheath and you’ll minimize the scratches on the finish. The Damascus is stainless, so there’s nothing to worry about there.
Use them and enjoy the fruits of your labor, that’s what they’re made for. With each little mark, your CRK’s will develop personality and will make you appreciate the knife even more because those wear marks that make it better looking will be from you.
The CCG can be sent back and made to look new again.
 
TreesNoDummy said:
Apologies from now if I’m beating a dead horse here, but I see so many conflicting opinions on older threads and I’m hoping to get a little help on 2 questions.

1. Just got the Join or Die small 21 CGG. Chris Reeve recommends lacquer thinner to maintain the graphic. Does anybody out there do this? How often do you do something like that on something that will be light/general edc use and really just pick up oils from my hand on the graphic?

2. Also just got a Chad Nichols Raindrop Mnandi. I ordered Ren Wax for the inlays. Should I actually use wd-40 on the blade? The Mnandi is going to see only the lightest of action - pocket candy for church - I’m Greek Orthodox so we get really dressed up on Sunday’s lol. How often do you guys treat the blade on an extremely lightly used knife?
Click to expand...

Please don't think I was being flippant in my earlier post, in my experience with a CGG, it seems more mark resistant than PJ Titanium scales, mine is in my pocket 3 or 4 times a week, I'm a warehouse manager, so It get used, it gets dropped, knocked, I don't use pocket clips so it sits in my pocket with Keys, coins and the like.

IXsKxOz.jpg

imiiNHh.jpg


As you can see, the back is way more marked than the CGG side.

As for your Mnandi, The dimascus is is Stainless, if mine get wet, I wipe it dry, that's it, as we know CRK make an awesome product, it won't let you down,
eUqVtNv.jpg
 
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KrisNZ said:
Please don't think I was being flippant in my earlier post, in my experience with a CGG, it seems more mark resistant thank PJ Titanium scales, mine is in my pocket 3 or 4 times a week, I'm a warehouse manager, so It get used, it gets dropped, knocked, I don't use pocket clips so it sits in my pocket with Keys, coins and the like.

As you can see, the back is way more marked than the CGG side.

As for your Mnandi, The dimascus is is Stainless, if mine get wet, I wipe it dry, that's it, as we know CRK make an awesome product, it won't let you down,
Click to expand...

No, I actually appreciated your initial response. CRK sends all this info of stuff you should use on the knife and I was just trying to see if people actually do any of these things. Your initial post was a fun way of saying - no, it's not needed. Your knives look awesome, btw. It's nice to see someone enjoying these knives so much.
 
Perhaps time to re-vive this thread with very similiar more specific question. Just picked up my 1st Large Damascus new and absolutely love it. Wish I could afford to do as one stated above but fortunately the funds were just there to afford one. As thrilled to death with it as I am, I want to use it as well. Are there certain materials or "subjects" that will cause more wear than others on the etching? For example cutting rubber hoses vs. slicing oranges and limes. I always rinse after food prep but does food prep shorten the length of time on the original great looks of the etching?

Also, I've heard hot water can mess with the tempering of the blade steel and effect hardness, wear, and brittleness. Will washing in hot (hot enough to cause steam but not hot enough to cause burns on the skin) water affect the tempering/cryogenic process? How about slicing up a steaming hot steak right off the grill? Sounds wild but I done such things with a custom knife before and not only was the blade super hot in the seconds and moments after but seemed like the edge incured chips where before there was none through cutting.
 
Gilbert G said:
Perhaps time to re-vive this thread with very similiar more specific question. Just picked up my 1st Large Damascus new and absolutely love it. Wish I could afford to do as one stated above but fortunately the funds were just there to afford one. As thrilled to death with it as I am, I want to use it as well. Are there certain materials or "subjects" that will cause more wear than others on the etching? For example cutting rubber hoses vs. slicing oranges and limes. I always rinse after food prep but does food prep shorten the length of time on the original great looks of the etching?

Also, I've heard hot water can mess with the tempering of the blade steel and effect hardness, wear, and brittleness. Will washing in hot (hot enough to cause steam but not hot enough to cause burns on the skin) water affect the tempering/cryogenic process? How about slicing up a steaming hot steak right off the grill? Sounds wild but I done such things with a custom knife before and not only was the blade super hot in the seconds and moments after but seemed like the edge incured chips where before there was none through cutting.
Click to expand...

I have carried and used CRK Damascus throughout the years for pretty much everything. Mainly the Devin Thomas SS Damascus. The only thing that I have seen “lighten” the Damascus and show some wear is cutting cardboard. Obviously any metal contact on the blade can and will put a hairline scratch on the Damascus as I have done that as well. It’s beautiful stuff and a beauty to use. I have always likened it’s performance to CRK’s S30V which I still love very much.
 
nyefmaker said:
I have carried and used CRK Damascus throughout the years for pretty much everything. Mainly the Devin Thomas SS Damascus. The only thing that I have seen “lighten” the Damascus and show some wear is cutting cardboard. Obviously any metal contact on the blade can and will put a hairline scratch on the Damascus as I have done that as well. It’s beautiful stuff and a beauty to use. I have always likened it’s performance to CRK’s S30V which I still love very much.
Click to expand...

That's fantastic news as always liked S30V performance as well. Kind of makes me wonder why they changed something that was already fixed ..."if it ain't broke...". Guess the same could be said about the ceramic detent ball too. Cardboard does seem to pose harsher opposition than most materials and good to know food prep didn't seem to give you any trouble. As nice as the damascus is, kind of have to agree with you it is almost even more enjoyable to use.
 
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