damascus steel

[chad2]

i have a buddy that wants me to make him a knife from damascus and i was looking at alabama damascus.

i have a question i have heard damascus steel is great but what are the draw backs to it?

the steels are 5160, 52100, 203E. it seems to me that if you did not sharpen a lot that the 203E would give you dull areas of the blade. even the 5160. almost turning into a serrated blade does this happen if not how?

also my buddy is a hunter so i want to make him smoething he can skin with and do other utility jobs.

what are the pros and cons of damascus?

 

[Robert Dark]

A bit of carbon migration between the steels usually takes care of any "soft spots". Because of the multiple layers, there tends to be micro-serration, but you can't see it without a microscope.

I have had damascus blades that didn't feel sharp, but would cut like crazy.

By the way, Alabama Damascus is some pretty darn good stuff. Heat treat according to their suggested directions, or heat treat according to the highest alloy in the mix (52100 ?)

Robert

 

[LRB]

Damascus is pretty, but a mono steel of the same carbon content and HT will out perform it in cutting. Such as straight 52100 against the Alabama damascus. However, the difference may not be enough to over ride the beauty aspect, or even be that significant. I would go with what the customers wants, but also inform him that there would be at least a slight difference in edge holding ability. Serrations are helpful in some cases, but not in others, but this would be at such a level that it would probably be unnoticable in normal use.