Damascus Stock

tallwingedgoat

tallwingedgoat

Joined
Jan 13, 1999
Messages
1,422
A while ago we were talking about Damascus steel for khukuris. I found a company that sells this particle steel damascus stock in sheets, rods, and bars. I don't know if they can heat-treat it in Nepal however.

Here's the site:
http://www.damasteel.se/
 
Goat, I don't think the kamis would know how to work Damascus -- but they have surprised me before.

Uncle Bill
 
Far as working it, heat and hammer to shape, and that should automatically work the areas that the layers need to be thicker and thinner in appropriately. Far as tempering, same thing, zone temper as before.

On second thought, I forgot to allow for Murphy's law.

[This message has been edited by Rusty (edited 02 July 1999).]
 
What I see as a potential challenge is that the kamis may only be familiar with 5160 type steel.

Every steel will have it's own particularities. How hot does it need to get for the heat-treat, how quick the quench, what the quench medium is: water, oil, or air, etc, etc. I think the kamis can get a handle on just about anything. Except maybe cyrogenic quench. It's just that it may take too much time and money to make it worth while.
 
Goat, you are right. By experimentation the kamis could figure out how to work just about anything but I am with you on the cost effectiveness of it all.

Uncle Bill
 
Cryogenic quench a problem? When you have Everest close by? Charge an extra $50 and send the customer a written provenance that serial # XX was treated by spending overnight outdoors on Everest at the 15,000 foot level or whatever. I'd even buy one. But I'd probably buy it anyway evenwithout a trip partway up the mountain.
 
Basecamp is 17,000 feet, Rusty, and that's just the playground. I'm sure we could find a few Sherpas who would cold treat the knive at altitudes of 27 or 28 thousand.

Uncle Bill
 
Don't try for 27000 or above, Uncle Bill. It's way too difficult and dangerous to carry any extra weight at all to or above Camp 4 (assuming S col route). As I recall, the Khumbu Icefall (right above base camp) has historically been the part of the climb that has claimed the most lives (especially Sherpas), so I wouldn't want to ask them to carry above base camp for purposes of cold treatment. I doubt that the temperature differences between base camp and the cwm would be enough to matter anyway and above camp 2 the terrain gets really steep and the oxygen thin.


------------------
Paul Neubauer
prn@bsu.edu

 
Paul, I remember talking with an Australian climber in Nepal whose team had lost three members to the Khumbu icefall. I would not ask a Sherpa or anybody else to carry anything into that terrain. The only way I would personally care to see the summit of Everest is the way I have seen it in the past -- from the window of an airplane.

Uncle Bill
 
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