Damascus Steel in the USA

C

cbishop

Joined
Dec 2, 1999
Messages
2
There is a man in Florida that is producing Damascus Steel blades. I can't remamber where exactly but it is in the Tampa, St Pete area.
He is a 6th generation blacksmith and very talented.

Other news: I am looking for a serrated, full tanged, Damascus katana. I am willing to pay top dollar for top work. You can E-mail me at cbishop@planetcable.net. If I am crazy for looking for such a thing please tell me. I want something that is very sharp, and also very powerful. I would like to be the best swordsman in the USA someday. And I need a powerful weapon to do so.
 
why a damascus katana? today steel are so good that the need of damascus for strength is almost needless, also the cost of a damascus sword is much higher. and i believe a serrated damascus blade will look ugly if you want it etched. just my opinion.
 
why a damascus katana? today steel are so good that the need of damascus for strength is almost needless, also the cost of a damascus sword is much higher. and i believe a serrated damascus blade will look ugly if you want it etched. just my opinion.
 
Then where can I find a true steel that is stronger than a damascus steel blade folded over 1000 times. The reason I want a serrated katana is because the katana was designed for one thing, one swipe. If it is serrated, the probobility of it cutting threw something has jumped up a couple of notches. So now you know, please reply.
 
No steel is folded a thousand times. That would give you millions of layers. Traditional Japanese swords were not "Damascus" in terms of what you are describing. Those swords were made of one single type of steel folded 17 times or so to purify the steel and evenly distibute the carbon. Modern carbon steels are already purified and homogenous. So from a performance standpoint, traditional Japanese swords were made of pretty crappy steel.

If you want a super strength katana, try Howard Clark's L6 banite/martensite sword. What most smiths call "Damascus" today is actually pattern welded steel. It is not how the Japanese did it, and not what true "Damascus" aka wootz was. Pattern welded blades are not especially strong. In fact very few smiths can get it as strong as homogenous steel blades. In the old days steel was brittle and iron too soft. So the ancients welded the two together for strength. Today it's mostly an ornamental thing.

As for serrations, you would be asking for trouble on hard targets like seasoned bamboo or bone. Even on soft targets I don't believe it'll give you a cleaner cut than the time honored blade design. Try hacking meat with a saw and you'll see what I mean.

Serrated blades tend to have chisel bevels. Which forces your cuts to curve inside a target. This is considered very bad form for a swordsman.

Lastly, serrations on a blade as long as a sword will likely produce stress spots where cracks may develope.




[This message has been edited by tallwingedgoat (edited 03 December 1999).]
 
Well put, Tallwingedgoat! If it aint broken, don't fix it, should be the rule of the day, when it comes to trying to improve on an age old design. You can't do better then Howard Clark's work. Find him at, Morgan Valley Forge, in Runnells, IA. (515) 966-2126.
Best Regards,
Jay Maines
Sunrise River Custom Knives www.sunrisecustomknives.com

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