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Damascus or Composit steel blade?
- Thread starter Ferahgo
- Start date
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2013
- Messages
- 615
Damascus is purely for looks. Edge retention will be significantly inferior to the composite D2. If you prefer how it looks though, the damascus may be right for you. Keep in mind that it is quite rust-prone as well. Personally I'm not a fan of the random (non-patterned) damascus that Kershaw uses.
In the heavy use environment of the office ninja, I have found that the Damascus blade Leek holds up fine. I have maybe four Leeks, two composite bladed ones which I love (one is the new blackwash), the Damascus, and the rainbow that I like to carry occasionally because the girls like it.
My own personal every day uses don't seem to eat up the edge the way people who cut carpet or baton fence posts do. So, I'm not commenting about that. But, if you need to open a package, cut a thread, or demonstrate terrifying levels of sharpness, the Damascus does just fine.
My own personal every day uses don't seem to eat up the edge the way people who cut carpet or baton fence posts do. So, I'm not commenting about that. But, if you need to open a package, cut a thread, or demonstrate terrifying levels of sharpness, the Damascus does just fine.
I have a black coated Leek in 14c28n and I can say the Aus8 in my Kabar Dozier folder holds an edge longer. It's a great steel, don't get me wrong, held up much longer than a previous 440C I used to carry.
I did bend the tip trying to carve wood though, ran into a tough knot. I was able to bend it back by hand.
about 1/2 a cm was snapped off the tip, (don't remember when but it was definitely woodworking) I just put it to a stone and now my Leek has a 1/2 cm tanto tip on it, very useful actually.
My favorite edc still, you just have to be extra careful with the tip and thinness.
I did bend the tip trying to carve wood though, ran into a tough knot. I was able to bend it back by hand.
about 1/2 a cm was snapped off the tip, (don't remember when but it was definitely woodworking) I just put it to a stone and now my Leek has a 1/2 cm tanto tip on it, very useful actually.
My favorite edc still, you just have to be extra careful with the tip and thinness.
Ferahgo
Gold Member
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- Mar 6, 2014
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- 2,142
:thumbup:Well then it comes down to aesthetics vs steel.
....mmm I think I prefer the looks of the composite, which incidentally has the better steel.
Sorry I was just repeating there, I still haven't handle many steels, but here's the specs for the damascus
Alabama Damascus Steel - Alabama Redneck Skin Pattern. Material = (4) layers 5160, (3) layers 203E, (3) layers 52100, (3) layers 15N20 folded 5 times for 416 damascus layers.
At any rate the price for either is well worth it.
....mmm I think I prefer the looks of the composite, which incidentally has the better steel.
Sorry I was just repeating there, I still haven't handle many steels, but here's the specs for the damascus
Alabama Damascus Steel - Alabama Redneck Skin Pattern. Material = (4) layers 5160, (3) layers 203E, (3) layers 52100, (3) layers 15N20 folded 5 times for 416 damascus layers.
At any rate the price for either is well worth it.
The damascus is made from Alabama Damascus steel as n7titan pointed out, it's actually pretty good damascus. It's not very corrosion resistant to my knowledge and won't hold an edge as long as the D2 but is pretty to look at. The wear resistance of the d2 is a double edge sword if your not proficient at sharpening or are using arkansas stones as it won't be as easy to sharpen due to the wear resistance as you have to hold a consistent edge longer while sharpening to get it sharp. And the arkansas stones will cut it very slowly. Though diamonds or silicon carbide (like norton crystolon) should cut through with ease, india will work too. The D2 is almost considered a stainless steel so you don't have to worry about corrosion that much.
I bought the damascus skyline and it's my favorite one handed folder, I haven't beaten it up or used it much because my GEC Bullnose gets the most pocket time. I cut up cardboard mostly and between the 01, XC90 (opinel carbon steel), 440a, victorinox stainless, and a few others I'd have a hard time telling them apart the only one that stands out between all the knives I own is my S110V spyderco mule team in holding an edge. I'd argue that a strop with some coarse compound is more important than wear resistance as long as it's good enough to finish the job. The mule team is collecting dust, my other knives get used more often. I cut up a bunch of cardboard and when I get a chance I have a piece of paper wrapped around a stone with some $2 craftsman #1 compound on it and I strop it a couple times each direction and the edge is back to being stupidly sharp in all of a few seconds.
Clear as mud on what I recommend right? Pick the one with characteristics you like, depending on what you do wear resistance may not be as much of a factor. And honestly I don't consider it a factor as long as it's good enough to get the job done and you are willing to take a few seconds to strop it real quick (good skill to learn and sharpening in general in this hobby).
I bought the damascus skyline and it's my favorite one handed folder, I haven't beaten it up or used it much because my GEC Bullnose gets the most pocket time. I cut up cardboard mostly and between the 01, XC90 (opinel carbon steel), 440a, victorinox stainless, and a few others I'd have a hard time telling them apart the only one that stands out between all the knives I own is my S110V spyderco mule team in holding an edge. I'd argue that a strop with some coarse compound is more important than wear resistance as long as it's good enough to finish the job. The mule team is collecting dust, my other knives get used more often. I cut up a bunch of cardboard and when I get a chance I have a piece of paper wrapped around a stone with some $2 craftsman #1 compound on it and I strop it a couple times each direction and the edge is back to being stupidly sharp in all of a few seconds.
Clear as mud on what I recommend right? Pick the one with characteristics you like, depending on what you do wear resistance may not be as much of a factor. And honestly I don't consider it a factor as long as it's good enough to get the job done and you are willing to take a few seconds to strop it real quick (good skill to learn and sharpening in general in this hobby).
Must be a rush on Leeks...this is about the third time I've posted about a Leek...
I've had occasion recently to handle a Leek composite blade. lt's a friend of mine's and he knows I like to hold the thing. It's become kind of a joke.
Never owned a Kershaw, probably never will. No reason. I have no bias in the mattert. But....
That composite Leek is one little cut 'n shoot knife. I like it a lot.
I've had occasion recently to handle a Leek composite blade. lt's a friend of mine's and he knows I like to hold the thing. It's become kind of a joke.
Never owned a Kershaw, probably never will. No reason. I have no bias in the mattert. But....
That composite Leek is one little cut 'n shoot knife. I like it a lot.
I haven't used my Damascus Leek at all, but I have used my Damascus Skyline quite a bit. It has held up very well, although if you're cutting abrasive materials (eg. cardboard), it will start to lighten the etching a bit. The same goes with the composite blade Leek. Without any controlled testing, my feel is that D2 does hold an edge longer.
The Damascus appears to be pretty tough stuff though. There's a pic where Kershaw twisted a Leek blade into a corkscrew, and it didn't break (left column, second from the bottom, just above a CB Leek actually).
The Damascus appears to be pretty tough stuff though. There's a pic where Kershaw twisted a Leek blade into a corkscrew, and it didn't break (left column, second from the bottom, just above a CB Leek actually).
- Joined
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Sorry to resurrect an older thread but I'm asking myself this question currently. I do not need a knife but interested in a leek so this knife won't see much use outside of office/home. Both Damascus and the composite have the cool factor. Looking at black handled frame lock version only. Thoughts from those who own both blade styles?