Damascus blade

Plumberdv

Plumberdv

Joined
Sep 26, 2008
Messages
8,160
I just received the Buck custom shop 110 with a damascus blade that I bought from a forum member and a thought occured to me.

How does the damascus rate among the various blade materials that Buck offers? Is it just for show or could it hold up to daily use?
StagDamascus.jpg
 
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From my experiences with a user 110 custom with damascus,it will outperform a lot of high end steel ,and sharpen up quicker and sharper than some super steels.I've used mine on exrensive skinning,quartering,butchering chores and when i was done ,i was thoroughly impressed with it,KEEP IT CLEAN /DRY when you're done ,it will rust otherwise.

I don't know many steels that can out do the buck damascus.I've used and own grohman knives,cold steel,boker,kershaw,knives of alaska,Buck has outperformed them all .
 
RAZORBLADES said:
From my experiences with a user 110 custom with damascus,it will outperform a lot of high end steel ,and sharpen up quicker and sharper than some super steels.I've used mine on exrensive skinning,quartering,butchering chores and when i was done ,i was thoroughly impressed with it,KEEP IT CLEAN /DRY when you're done ,it will rust otherwise.

I don't know many steels that can out do the buck damascus.I've used and own grohman knives,cold steel,boker,kershaw,knives of alaska,Buck has outperformed them all .
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:thumbup:Thank you, it's nice to hear that it's not "just another pretty face".
 
Thanks guys, I appreciate it. I really like the stag on this one, it's matched really well.
 
I have heard that the Damascus blades hold up but are real brittle and will break if you but side pressure on them, is this true.
 
i cut my self with a DM blade and it was dang sharp!
the one i used was great!
love it, but keep it clean and it is not a pry bar either
it will cut wood and other in the woods stuff jest fine also.
enjoy it !
 
Hillbilly Bob said:
I have heard that the Damascus blades hold up but are real brittle and will break if you but side pressure on them, is this true.
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I would say that its not brittle whatsoever,in fact i found it to be very flexible actually bent the tip and straigtened it almost perfect without it breaking.

I always use a stone that leaves the edge a bit toothy,thats when damascus will cut the best in my experience even when quite dull it will still cut well.figure that one out:thumbup:
 
damascus is made from layers of metel welded together "kinda like plywood" and then etched with different strenth acids to eat away the different layers to reveal the unique patterns in the steel. it is done this way to make the blade more flexible. the damscus blades are bad to rust but sharpen easily and hold an edge very well, this has been my findings.
 
Bear MGC in Jacksonville, AL produces their own 512 layer Damascus under their Alabama Damascus name for other vendors, too - like Kershaw. I bought a Kershaw Leek in Damascus when the first batch was made. My one Buck in Damascus, actually a beautiful teardrop Damascus, is my custom shop flaming Koa handled one. I also have a couple of Bears, including a <$100 Bowie, the least expensive per pound of Damascus I have. The Bear 597D, a bulky 110-like knife in Damascus and 'genuine India stag bone', was a steal from a knifestore on evil-bay - actually my least expensive Damascus blade.

That's my collection - now my cutting experiences. If you want a better fine-whittling steel, especially on green wood, get 420HC. If you can 'pull' the blade at all, rather than pare with it, the Damascus will cut long after other steels need sharpening. It really is like a micro-saw, with the carbides formed by the folding & firewelding over a charcoal fire actually acting like micro saw teeth. It is uncanny to try to push a Damascus blade into printer paper only to crumple & rip it. Pull it towards you as you push down and you go right through it.

The acid baths most use to darken some layers and make them more pronounced - dull the edge - and, left unwashed, promote rusting. Mineral oil is all I use - I never know when I might cut food. My 110 is still very sharp - but the CS Bear blades have been straight forward to sharpen & hone. They instill bad habits, since they cut so long after you should have sharpened them (Just remember to pull...). My most used is the often carried Leek... and I haven't resharpened it, yet, either. Before I spent a bundle on a custom Damascus, I'd try one of the Kershaw Ken Onion series in Damascus - Chive, Scallion, Leek, or Shallot. They are available shipped <$100 - and a great way to 'test the water' - and buy American, too.

IMG_0616.jpg


My favorite? The 110. If I got caught somewhere needing to build a shelter or a raft? That huge Bear Damascus Bowie (not shown).

Stainz
 
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I carry a 110 w/dm blade. Haven't babied it any. I find it cuts much better than most other steel and does stay sharp a long time, plus takes almost no time to touch up when it does need it.

Haven't had any rust issues with it either.
 
Stainz, seeing your Bear, just jogged my memory. I have the identical knife in a box somewhere. I'd kinda forgot about all the boxes of other brands that I own since I got hooked on Bucks.
 
Plum that is a sweetheart of a knife. Is this one a display knife?
I drooled over this one for a long time. I have a damascus/stag too but not nearly as sweet as your new one. I know you'll enjoy it.
 
Nice one Plumber, looks almost identical to the one Club knife I have, love that stag!
 
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Plum,

Here are my two early NS & damascus. 1989 brown picked bone & 1990 stag.


Double click picture.
 
As long as folks remember that a Damascus blade is meant purely for CUTTING and not use it (and I don't know WHY it does happen) for a prying tool, Damascus is, in my opinion, the tops in knife blade steel.

Beautiful knife- good job!
 
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