Damascus?????

[donnord]

I know its usually pretty but I always worry its just a sandwich of crappy steels. How do I know whats what. I don't buy Paki steel if I know what it is, and I shy away from cheap blades as well. I generally buy 440C blanks, many of which are of unknown origin. Then I build them out and give them away. Damascus looks good but if it does not perform, it is a reflection on me for the person receiving the knife. Is there a file test or something similar to separate fact from bull crap with Damascus?

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[justjed]

Good Damascus usually isn't cheap. But, if you look up knife making supplies, several places, such as Jantz Supply, sell quality US made damascus blades at reasonable prices. Buy from established US vendors, you'll be fine.

 

[Danke42]

Buy it from a reliable source and you won't have to do a car door chop to test it.

 

[Locutus D'Borg]

Chad Nichols, Devin Thomas, and Vegas Forge all produce high quality Damascus. All three make Damascus for knife makers. Chad and Devin make Damascus for Chris Reeve, William Henry, and other high quality production makers. Vegas Forge is used by quite a few custom makers. If you want I can post photos of my Damascus knives by these makers.

 

[J. Doyle]

Good Damascus usually isn't cheap. But, if you look up knife making supplies, several places, such as Jantz Supply, sell quality US made damascus blades at reasonable prices. Buy from established US vendors, you'll be fine.

Buy it from a reliable source and you won't have to do a car door chop to test it.

These......times a thousand.

Good Damascus isn't cheap for a reason. If you find yourself thinking the bar you just ordered is a great deal, it likely isn't and you'll probably be sorry. Stay away from ebay and the like.

A seller of quality Damascus better be able to tell you EXACTLY what it's made from and how to heat treat it.

Performance can be quite good. It should perform no worse than its parent materials. But it won't perform better than it's parent materials either.

 

[TC]

There's also the proprietary Swedish-made Damasteel. Some here seem to dislike it; I have no distinct opinion either way. Just mentioning another possible source.

 

[madcap_magician]

If you're buying damascus steel, then if you buy from a reputable source that clearly states what the component steels are and the heat treat process for it, you'll be fine.

 

[calm]

Damasteel in stainless is used by Victorinox.

 

[OrangeBlueOrangeBlue]

Performance, even for the most well-known and reputable damascus makers, will always be limited by the alloys used, with the softest one generally setting the floor.
For example, Chad Nichols' stainless damascus uses 440c, AEB-L, 304, and "pure nickel"; while 440c and AEB-L are venerable alloys, 304 is mainly for cheapo knives or wallhangers, and nickel won't harden at all.
Secondarily, using multiple alloys means the heat treatment is likely compromised (unless the alloys happen to all have the same optimal treatment protocol).