Damascus care?

G

Guntana

Joined
Sep 18, 2013
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Hey there! I am here for what may seem like a simple question to some, but for me I can't grasp a clear answer for it! I'm very, very, very close to pulling the trigger on a Raindrop 21, but the only problem I have is not knowing how to properly care for the damascus! What do you guys do/recommend for me to do?

Thank ya! Gunny.
 
No special care needed. All the current CRK Damascus is Devin Thomas stainless. If it ever becomes faded from significant use .... you can always have it re-etched. That said, I still like to keep mine coated with some frog lube. Brings out the pattern a little. Some people like to coat them with Ren Wax or spray them down with WD-40. Again, this is done more to bring out the pattern than for any type of rust/corrosion protection. As long as you keep them clean, corrosion should not be a problem.
 
They come coated (something like a clear Gun-Kote) but that will wear off over time. As d.r.h. noted, it is stainless steel so little care is necessary
 
Sorry to interject on your post smiling, but that's not true. Chris does not clearcoat Damascus anymore. The last coated Damascus blades were done around 2009 or so.
 
No special care is needed. The older HC damascus needed oil wiped on it because it was a carbon steel damascus and would be prone to discoloration. That damascus had a clear coat on it to help counteract that. They have not used that steel in several years. The DT Stainless Damascus is just that, stainless and will not discolor. No special care is needed for it. Just use it and enjoy it. I have always considered DT SS Damascus to be like S30V. Its great stuff and I have used it quite a bit with never a blemish. Go For It.....!!!
 
iamsmiling said:
They come coated (something like a clear Gun-Kote) but that will wear off over time. As d.r.h. noted, it is stainless steel so little care is necessary
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Actually, they do not. CRK stopped doing this a few years ago.

As mentioned, no special care ... just keep it clean. Some Ren Wax will also add protection.
 
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blackend said:
Sorry to interject on your post smiling, but that's not true. Chris does not clearcoat Damascus anymore. The last coated Damascus blades were done around 2009 or so.
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Has it been that long since I bought a new Damascus blade? Eek, I stand corrected. Anyway, with stainless Damascus it shouldn't be an issue.
 
Never use wd40 on etched/damascus blade.
It's not a lube/protector but a degreaser/stain/oxide remover and will fade the black into a poor grey....horrible
 
I just purchased a large CRK Seb 21 SS Raindrop. I have heard that cutting a lime or anything acidic will fade the pattern, is this true? I have a few kitchen knives that I made out of L6, and they stained after the first onion I cut. If my knife needs re-etching, how much would it cost? Thanks

PS... This is my first CRK and my first post on BladeForums.
 
Lyall29 said:
I just purchased a large CRK Seb 21 SS Raindrop. I have heard that cutting a lime or anything acidic will fade the pattern, is this true? I have a few kitchen knives that I made out of L6, and they stained after the first onion I cut. If my knife needs re-etching, how much would it cost? Thanks

PS... This is my first CRK and my first post on BladeForums.
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Current DT SS Damascus can be treated the same way as their current S35VN. You can cut any acidic food like limes, lemons, onions, etc.., just wash off the damascus blade asap. This info is directly from CRK.

And welcome to Blade Forums! Glad to have you here. :thumbup:
 
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socom1970 said:
Current DT SS Damascus can be treated the same way as their current S30VN. You can cut any acidic food like limes, lemons, onions, etc.., just wash off the damascus blade asap. This info is directly from CRK.

And welcome to Blade Forums! Glad to have you here. :thumbup:
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Thank you for the info!! I feel better now.:thumbup:
 
Physical wear will for sure fade the pattern.

Ren wax (Renaissance wax) does come applied to the blade, but not universally. Personally, I have found the blades with heavier etch, more of a textured pattern and a darker gray/black have it. The examples with more of a smooth grey surface appearance do not. I have 2 made this year that have Ren wax on them from CRK.

It's $75+ to re-etch, and it cannot be done past a certain point, so generally speaking CRK will need to see the blade in person to let you know what they can do with it.

If you have the pattern/blade with Ren wax on it, or you use ren wax, I would highly recommend you do not use it on food. It's not going to kill you if you do, my 2 year old ate some and was perfectly fine. We called poison control as well. That being said, some people still smoke so do what you want.

All this info is recent info based correspondence on 1 of my recent 5 to the spa.
 
JustinFournier said:
Physical wear will for sure fade the pattern.

Ren wax (Renaissance wax) does come applied to the blade, but not universally. Personally, I have found the blades with heavier etch, more of a textured pattern and a darker gray/black have it. The examples with more of a smooth grey surface appearance do not. I have 2 made this year that have Ren wax on them from CRK.

It's $75+ to re-etch, and it cannot be done past a certain point, so generally speaking CRK will need to see the blade in person to let you know what they can do with it.

If you have the pattern/blade with Ren wax on it, or you use ren wax, I would highly recommend you do not use it on food. It's not going to kill you if you do, my 2 year old ate some and was perfectly fine. We called poison control as well. That being said, some people still smoke so do what you want.

All this info is recent info based correspondence on 1 of my recent 5 to the spa.
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Thank you for the info.
 
Welcome to the madness, Lyall29. You may consider placing a monthly spending limit on all of your credit/debit cards...;-)
 
Would you buy a damascus for every day use? I would use it in the kitchen and outside as well.
Or better if I choose a regular CRK?
 
Kasya said:
Would you buy a damascus for every day use? I would use it in the kitchen and outside as well.
Or better if I choose a regular CRK?
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I bought small 21 basket weave CF for EDC. I am not a hard user though. Most of what I use a knife for is opening mail and breaking down boxes for trash day. I also have other CRK's with standard blades to use. So its not like its my only knife if I am worried it will get damaged. I can alway pull from the other pocket my Inkosi.
 
I would buy a used Damascus and use it for everyday activities. As Driften opined, it would not see heavy use. I have big Busse's for that.
 
I carry and use a large DT Sebenza and have for almost 2 years. I would hazard to guess I use it as hard or harder than most use S##V Sebenzas. I am not an idiot and do not subscribe to the idea that a pocket knife should be tested on rocks or pounded through heavy limbs, but I can tell you that these knives will tolerate a lot more than most people are willing to ask of them.

That said, if the thought of scratches on the etch of a pattern welded blade bothers you, you probably won't be able to fully enjoy using a DT blade.
 
unit said:
I carry and use a large DT Sebenza and have for almost 2 years. I would hazard to guess I use it as hard or harder than most use S##V Sebenzas. I am not an idiot and do not subscribe to the idea that a pocket knife should be tested on rocks or pounded through heavy limbs, but I can tell you that these knives will tolerate a lot more than most people are willing to ask of them.

That said, if the thought of scratches on the etch of a pattern welded blade bothers you, you probably won't be able to fully enjoy using a DT blade.
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Thanks for the post. It's appreciated to hear credible information on the practical use of the DT stainless. I'll have to pick one from my collection and just go for it-- no rocks or limbs, of course! But I will need to find a way to christen it other than breaking down a cardboard box.
 
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