Damascus Knife help

W

Will2020

Joined
Nov 18, 2010
Messages
4
Hello all. :)

I'm new to the forum and this is my first post.


I'm searching for a full tang, 5 1/2'' Damascus hunting/survival knife with guard and large buttcap. Possibly have the blade a little thicker than usual for prying things, and balance center or slightly forward. A saw on top would be great as well, but I do not want a hollow handle.

I have about a $500-$1200 budget, does anyone know of a reputable knife maker who forges knives like these?

What is the most durable/ best grip handle material? It does not have to be flashy, or have fancy engraving et cetera. I want all of my money to go to performance.

What is the recommended range for folding the Damascus material? 200,400, 600? What's the difference in the amount of folds?

Any help would be appreciated.
 
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will for the best grip I would go with stag pop corn stag is best and It looks good. but not the best choice if there is going to be a lot of blood. but I want to make sure that you want this damascus knife for the right reason . if you want a knife to do prying and sawing I just want to make sure that you to understand there are much better steels for this then damascus. yes damascus will do it and it will look good doing it even with all the marks you put in it with all that sawing and prying. so if you are looking for the best looking working knife then get one made from damascus But if you are looking for the best working knife for the money there is better steels for the job then damascus. many folks here can help within that budget
 
I want an indestructable knife that will last a lifetime in the wilderness and in the snow. It does not have to have a serrated edge, but that would be a big plus, so would a striker.

When dealing with a lot of blood, what would be the best grip? Could I get the popcorn stag and wrap it with leather lace? What about in wet snowy conditions in the north?

Some people I know swear by Damascus and say that high carbon steel is very hard, and can be made brittle when overdone, but is excellent if you know how to sharpen correctly.
 
Will,

Damascus for the most part is just high carbon steel that has been manipulated to obtain a pretty pattern. Dave makes some really great damascus and I make a bit myself also. However a good quality monosteel blade will perform as good or better than a damascus blade. If you really want damascus it will run you almost double that of a monosteel of the same design. Now for indestructible. Well that is a matter of how you treat your knife. I can take just about any knife out and destroy it in a matter of a few minutes. Digging and chopping into rock will do this quite quickly. A knife like you describe that I would recommend would be 1/4 inch out of a quality carbon steel, O-1, 5160, 52100, W-2 would all fit the bill. Though popcorn stag is beautiful and will hold up under most circumstances, I would recommend canvas micarta. This material when finished properly will get grippy when wet and will hold up in all the extremes. It is not really pretty but it sounds like you aren't worried about that. I do not recommend saw backs on knives as most of them really do not work well. They also create stress risers that can cause a catastrophic failure if you are prying on the blade. I also do not really recommend prying either but it's your knife and as long as the maker is aware of what your intentions are then they can advise you further. Dave is a great maker and could probably make what you are looking for and I would be willing to take a stab at it if you want. You can reach either of us via PM or email by clicking on our names at the top of the post. Good luck and take care.
 
thanks Chuck you covered that very well I was hoping someone would jump in hear to help Will out so he can find the knife he wants and understand what that is.
 
I went to the knife show yesterday, and a guy showed me his Busse skinner knife. It had a black micarta handle with blood channels and I really liked it. He told me it holds a really firm grip when dealing with blood. So that is the material I would like.

Thanks for the tip on the serrated edge, I think I'll go ahead and pass on that.

How about a 5 1/2'' high carbon steel blade (the best one) with 1/4 thickness, micarta grip with blood grooves, a gaurd and striker on back, what would be the price range for this?

What about the same as above in damascus steel?
 
Will

If you want to discuss prices you need to contact someone via private message or email. I would be happy to provide you a quote. chuck at woodchuckforge dot com
 
Chuck spelled it out pretty well and he makes a very fine knife and would be a great choice to make your dream knife.
 
Dred,

Welcome to the forum. First off what do you consider affordable? Then what type of knife are you looking for at that price? The type of Damascus, ie random or mosaic, can make a huge difference in the price also.
 
Will, stick around and keep asking questions and learn a bit more before spending your $500 to $1200. I'm not sure that blood grooves and a saw back are really going to be of much utility on a 5 1/2" "survival" knife. And making a knife thick enough to be an effective pry bar might diminish its cutting ability - remember - all that thick steel has to move through the material you want to cut.

There is no set "price range" for the knife you have in mind. The largest variable will be who makes it and what their particular pricing structure is. For example I could show you a plain wood handled carbon steel hunter from one maker that costs $250. I could show you another plain wood handled carbon steel hunter from another maker that costs $1,600.

In addition to carbon and damascus steels, another option to consider would be a laminate: stainless steel over a carbon core. The nice thing about these blades is that they won't change much in appearance with use. The darkened carbon will get a bit darker and the stainless wrap will better resist corrosion and staining over time.

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Fewer makers offer this option and pricing tends to run closer to a damascus blade than a plain carbon blade, but it's something worth considering.

Bottom line - you need to have enough information to figure out what you really want and why in order to get a knife you will be happy with long-term.

There is a wealth of information on this forum - search, read, learn - THEN spend.

Roger
 
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