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Damascus Blade usage
- Thread starter Humpty
- Start date
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2002
- Messages
- 268
Hello Humpty,
I have an Alan Brown Custom damascus Rambler, 2.9" fixed blade, in a leather friction sheath, which I carry often when I'm walking or Cimbing. I just love it to death. I use it quite often, but I do not abuse it, and have still to sharpen it. I just wipe the blade with a cloth soaked in WD 40. Unless the blade goes rusty, and you have to polish it, the blade should never need re-etching, indeed, the pattern actually improves with age and use.
Regards,
Doug
I have an Alan Brown Custom damascus Rambler, 2.9" fixed blade, in a leather friction sheath, which I carry often when I'm walking or Cimbing. I just love it to death. I use it quite often, but I do not abuse it, and have still to sharpen it. I just wipe the blade with a cloth soaked in WD 40. Unless the blade goes rusty, and you have to polish it, the blade should never need re-etching, indeed, the pattern actually improves with age and use.
Regards,
Doug
- Joined
- Aug 4, 1999
- Messages
- 2,596
I use Renaissance Wax on all my knives including several damascus ones. I've never had a problem as long as they were dried after use and the wax re-applied. Bob Doggett gave me a good tip about damascus and Ren Wax. Heat the knife slightly with a hair dryer, the steel seems to almost soak up the wax!! After it cools wipe off the excess.
Neil
Neil
- Joined
- Nov 17, 2001
- Messages
- 1,957
Basically, there are 2 different kind of damascus.
1. Carbon damascus
2. Stainless damascus (also known as damasteel)
Of course the stainless damascus is more resistant to rust and discoloration.
I believe Chris Reeve is using damasteel in all of his damascus line. I am not too sure though. He heat-colors his damascus, and it does not hold its color very well if you use it for cutting. Any acidic material might ruin it.
I myself am using a small fixed damascus blade by Bruce Evans. He calls it a neck knife because of its small size, but amazingly enough it covers my everyday cutting chores. The blade is made of carbon damascus, and sometimes it discolors. When it does, I etch it using acid and polish it again. Why do I do that ? Simply because I enjoy it. I don't put anything on it (no coating, no wax whatsoever). I just make sure that the knife is dry before sheathing it.
Dust/dirt will NOT ruin the etching. In carbon damascus, acidic material (orange, blood, vinegar, apple, etc.) will ruin the etching.
I hope it helps.
1. Carbon damascus
2. Stainless damascus (also known as damasteel)
Of course the stainless damascus is more resistant to rust and discoloration.
I believe Chris Reeve is using damasteel in all of his damascus line. I am not too sure though. He heat-colors his damascus, and it does not hold its color very well if you use it for cutting. Any acidic material might ruin it.
I myself am using a small fixed damascus blade by Bruce Evans. He calls it a neck knife because of its small size, but amazingly enough it covers my everyday cutting chores. The blade is made of carbon damascus, and sometimes it discolors. When it does, I etch it using acid and polish it again. Why do I do that ? Simply because I enjoy it. I don't put anything on it (no coating, no wax whatsoever). I just make sure that the knife is dry before sheathing it.
Dust/dirt will NOT ruin the etching. In carbon damascus, acidic material (orange, blood, vinegar, apple, etc.) will ruin the etching.
I hope it helps.
CRK used Devon?/Devin? Thomas high contrast damascus (nicel and 1095?) in their normal and colored dam knives. CRK's SS dam blades at least were made of Thomases SS dam stock. Thomases SS dam is partially 300-series SS that will not harden --> not wery desirable feature for user that would like to use his(her) SS dam benza. It would be nice if (I don't know current situation) CRK used Damasteel or Mike Norrises sanmai SS dam as those are real user grade steels.
If carbon damascus is etched deeply enough the pattern will not disappear even if one uses the knife to cut lightly acidic substances like fruits. Colored dam looses the salts that give the color if used to cut acidic substances.
Knives of damasteel need as much care as any other high carbon SS (e.g. ats-34) knife.
If carbon damascus is etched deeply enough the pattern will not disappear even if one uses the knife to cut lightly acidic substances like fruits. Colored dam looses the salts that give the color if used to cut acidic substances.
Knives of damasteel need as much care as any other high carbon SS (e.g. ats-34) knife.
You can use it. It won't hold edge as well as a blade made of solid 1095 but is still useable (nicel content is generally less than 10% in nicel-1095 blades).
You shoud take care of it as you take care of any other carbonsteel blades - rinse in fresh water and whipe it dry after cutting acidic sustances.
One should allways remember that people did survive without ss blades to the early 1900's and knives are useable afer cutting a couple of fruits.
You shoud take care of it as you take care of any other carbonsteel blades - rinse in fresh water and whipe it dry after cutting acidic sustances.
One should allways remember that people did survive without ss blades to the early 1900's and knives are useable afer cutting a couple of fruits.
wolfmann601
Gone, but not forgotton. RIP Ira.
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2001
- Messages
- 7,385
now that's an idea
Good Damascus is forged to be used. Just needs a little better "after-care"
Good Damascus is forged to be used. Just needs a little better "after-care"
Ebbtide
Gold Member
- Joined
- Aug 20, 1999
- Messages
- 7,955
Beluga, I doubt it.
Back then there were no disposable anythings.
Good tools were precious and treated with care and respect.
Since there was no TV or Internet, folks had time to maintain their equipment.
How many of you 'rustaphobics' have a hammer?
Do you give it special care? Ren wax, WD40, etc...
Is it rusty?
Or is it stained to a nice gray patina?
That patina will help protect against rust, the orange kind.
And as long as you do't let pits develop the orange stuff isn' the end of the world either.
I'm talkin' users here...stains on a $1000 shelf queen are a different matter.
I've taken my damascus bowie camping in the rain, when we got home it had some small orange frosting on it...a little Flitz and some elbow grease and it is good as new.
Oh yeah, Beluga it aint personal, just a pet peeve
Back then there were no disposable anythings.
Good tools were precious and treated with care and respect.
Since there was no TV or Internet, folks had time to maintain their equipment.
How many of you 'rustaphobics' have a hammer?
Do you give it special care? Ren wax, WD40, etc...
Is it rusty?
Or is it stained to a nice gray patina?
That patina will help protect against rust, the orange kind.
And as long as you do't let pits develop the orange stuff isn' the end of the world either.
I'm talkin' users here...stains on a $1000 shelf queen are a different matter.
I've taken my damascus bowie camping in the rain, when we got home it had some small orange frosting on it...a little Flitz and some elbow grease and it is good as new.
Oh yeah, Beluga it aint personal, just a pet peeve
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2001
- Messages
- 588
Tommi,
Have you ever used any Of Devins SS damascuss? I made a couple of knives from some that I got from him on a trade. I could get around two HUNDRED cuts on hemp rope and still slice paper and the knife would pass the brass rod test. If that dosen't show edge holding ability then what does?
Have you ever used any Of Devins SS damascuss? I made a couple of knives from some that I got from him on a trade. I could get around two HUNDRED cuts on hemp rope and still slice paper and the knife would pass the brass rod test. If that dosen't show edge holding ability then what does?
- Joined
- Oct 1, 1999
- Messages
- 6,490
I've carried an Art Washburn wharncliffe folder for almost two years now made of Devin Thomas raindrop pattern ss damascus, Art told me he had made his wife kitchen knife out of the same stuff, she's a chef and thought it was great. She was right. I've never put anything on it but soap and water in all that time. I've used it to cut everything short of hunting, it holds an edge sharp enough to touch up a shave with. It never takes me more than a few strokes on a 204. I don't know if I would ask more from a steel.
I have a Custom Damascus blade made by Taz of these forums. I will start off saying i tend to be abusive to knives 
The blade i have is the Firestorm pattern made from 1084 and 15N30 i think, its 6" OAL with Ti handles(its been a while since i got it) Anyways on to the useage, its edge holding is superb, not as great as S30V IMO but up there. It has proven to be a very durable knife, i did snap 1/8" off the tip prying but that was my fault not the steel. I have used this knife to pry with and it has been bent to a 90-100 degree angle and not snapped, i was expecting it to snap but it held up. All told it is a very tough knife and i would not hesitate to push it to its limits.
The blade i have is the Firestorm pattern made from 1084 and 15N30 i think, its 6" OAL with Ti handles(its been a while since i got it) Anyways on to the useage, its edge holding is superb, not as great as S30V IMO but up there. It has proven to be a very durable knife, i did snap 1/8" off the tip prying but that was my fault not the steel. I have used this knife to pry with and it has been bent to a 90-100 degree angle and not snapped, i was expecting it to snap but it held up. All told it is a very tough knife and i would not hesitate to push it to its limits.
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2000
- Messages
- 3,625
I have the double high carbon Devin Thomas Spiral Damascus in my small wood Sebenza. As far as I am aware it is 1084 and L6 tool steel. It gives a great grippy/rippy cutting edge like a buzzsaw! Even with a polished edge it is a highly aggressive cutter. I have used great care to prevent rust and no problems as of yet. I have used it to open boxes, cut wood fuzz sticks etc. No problems. Worst I can say is the edge got slightly chipped when a coin got inside the handle (the open back design is a bit weak for this). The coin scratched the inside of the handle and damaged the edge. About twenty passes on the sharpmaker removed most of this so hardly a huge problem. A real gut wrencher when it happened though!
Ebbtide
Gold Member
- Joined
- Aug 20, 1999
- Messages
- 7,955
Yellow-ish?!
That sounds like the beginning of rust (the orange stuff). Take some WD40 and a rag & go at it. 2 minutes & your hammer will be fine. Even with the yellow stuff, I bet it still pounds nails OK.
Stains, or even a light fuzz of rust, isn't the end of your (user) knife. In fact after a carbon blade is stained, it helps keep away the rust (orange kind). The downside to letting you carbon blades patina is that it can leave a bad taste on foods, especially fruits. That is why, in the 1800's, fruit knives were made of sterling silver...they didn't stain or leave an aftertaste. If you want to hurry the staining process, cut citrus fruits. Which is what I'll be doing to my Livesay USMarshall now that I've put a convex edge on it and polished it to 400 grit. (part of the "No More Black Blades Campaign"....another pet peeve
)
The original question was about damascus. The etch to bring out the pattern (in damascus) serves as sort of a patina. It doesn't polish out easily. How much flitz it would take to polish out an etch would be a good question for the shop talk forum.
In the old days smiths would use different scraps of steel, fold them together and not etch, but polish, them so that no one would know that the product was recycled steel.
Damascus as a user, shouldn't require any more maintence than a firearm. If you can keep your deer rifle from rusting, you'll be fine
As for the caviar...same catagory as sashimi...BAIT!
That sounds like the beginning of rust (the orange stuff). Take some WD40 and a rag & go at it. 2 minutes & your hammer will be fine. Even with the yellow stuff, I bet it still pounds nails OK.
Stains, or even a light fuzz of rust, isn't the end of your (user) knife. In fact after a carbon blade is stained, it helps keep away the rust (orange kind). The downside to letting you carbon blades patina is that it can leave a bad taste on foods, especially fruits. That is why, in the 1800's, fruit knives were made of sterling silver...they didn't stain or leave an aftertaste. If you want to hurry the staining process, cut citrus fruits. Which is what I'll be doing to my Livesay USMarshall now that I've put a convex edge on it and polished it to 400 grit. (part of the "No More Black Blades Campaign"....another pet peeve
)The original question was about damascus. The etch to bring out the pattern (in damascus) serves as sort of a patina. It doesn't polish out easily. How much flitz it would take to polish out an etch would be a good question for the shop talk forum.
In the old days smiths would use different scraps of steel, fold them together and not etch, but polish, them so that no one would know that the product was recycled steel.
Damascus as a user, shouldn't require any more maintence than a firearm. If you can keep your deer rifle from rusting, you'll be fine
As for the caviar...same catagory as sashimi...BAIT!