Damascus dice

R

Rakot

Joined
Jun 21, 2007
Messages
4
Hello,

I figured this is the best place to ask about what I have in mind since it's mostly knife makers who work with Damascus steel.

Anyhow, I am very interested in purchasing a pair of standard 6-sided dice made of Damascus steel, with either 20 mm or 1 inch side (or similar size). I found only one website in the whole wide web that mentioned Damascus dice, and that's Arizona Custom Knives:

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Unfortunately, their dice are sold out; I have contacted them about a possibility of ordering more but have not heard from them yet.

I am therefore looking for recommendations of any other custom knife maker who could forge a pair of Damascus dice for me.

Thanks in advance.
 
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Get a hold of Ariel Salaverria, a knifemaker from Buenos Aires, Argentina. He makes all kinds of neat damascus stuff, this would be right up his alley. He posts here fairly often. and if you click on his name it will take you to his website.

Jason
 
I can make the damascus for the dice, but without my surface grinder running I won't be able to balance them. So you would need another maker to make dice if you want them to be balanced. Also I think twist pattern would look a lot better than just lines.
 
Thank you all for your recommendations. I have now sent out emails to ca. 50 different smiths and knifemakers. Only a few have replied so far, but seeing as it's weekend, I shall wait untill later next week to make up my mind.

Only two of those who have responded have expressed interest in my little project, and one of them was Damascus Pakistan:

The Damascus dice will cost $6 per piece (shipping not included). Minimum order quantity 12 pieces. Delivery time for 12 pieces will be 7 working days.
Click to expand...

I am no expert in the subject of smithing, but it was my understanding that Damascus is a rather rare and valuable alloy. I was prepared to pay well over $100 for a pair of dice, so an offer with such low price tag caught me a little off guard. After all, the only Damascus dice I've managed to find cost $125 for a pair. Or is there something I am missing here?

As for the dice themselves, they are meant as a gift to a dear friend and an avid dice collector. While it doesn't have to have casino precision, it would be nice if the die was at least somewhat balanced. I also realize that 1 inch and even 20 mm may be too big a size for a die, but since my friend likes his dice big rather than small, I guess a 16 mm (0.63") side would be the absolute minimum.
 
At 6 bucks a piece they will not be balanced and im sure you would not be happy. Well On the other hand if they roll 7 every time then it might not be a bad thing lol
 
The udderholm steels I use for patternwelding work out at about $8usd lb, so that doesnt really come into it. (15n20 , 20c)

Ive got a decent surface grinder, power hammer etc so could go from sheet steel into a dozen hardened dice in a couple of days. A lot would depend on how you 'numbered' them, and how accurate you would need to be. My reconing on a couple of days would include making some little jigs to mark out the numbers, and then a carbide burr in a dremmel for the 'pips'.

I would harden them as the steel pattern 'pops' much nicer than when soft.

Stainless damascus would be a different ball game, since the magnetic chuck on the grinder wouldnt be much use :D

As with many things the price is nearly all down to the labour rate, shop rate charged on the job!
 
at $6 each you may as well try them out pakistani damascus is known as being low quality but in dice it won't be such a big deal and normal dice are all made in third world or developing counties anyway. if you are just using them in a game of Yahtzee it won't matter so much unless they are really really poor quality (like you can tell by eye the corners aren't square or the sides aren't even). if you are going to use them in you casino or even any game with money riding on it obviouslly or you want a nice heirloom for your kids you need to worry a little more.
 
Rakot.

Can you keep me posted on your project.
I would like a set of 6 if you need more to make an order minimum.
I'd try them no problem at $6 each, but also will pay more for better, more skilled labor to fabricate them.
an unbalanced die is a paperweight.
 
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