Damask hard$soft rate?

[hawkwind]

Hi folks. I m going to make some damask and I m preparing the billets. I m going to work in my friends swordsmiths workshop,so I dont have fear of forge welding, but I would like to know few things and I hope that knowledgeable people here can help me.

What is the typical rate of hard and soft steel into billet.
My hard steel is 0,95-1,09%C, 0,20-0,35%Mn, 0,15-0,30%Si, 0,00 ... %Cr,0,00-0,20%Ni
What is US equivalent?

This steel is widely used for damask here and forge welds finely. I want to use soft steel sheet as the other component.

My aim is damask knives, saex and one big weld for sword.

I would like to make at least saex and one knife this way

http://sweb.cz/hawkwind/knifedraft.JPG

do you think its better to go for 1:3 soft/hard for edge piece and 1:1 for core twists?

Thanks all.

Jaroslav

 

[mete]

Other than the small amount of Ni it's like our 1095. Since the damascus is really for decoration you should be looking for a second steel that etches differently from 1095 rather than a 'soft' steel.. Something like the european 15n20 perhaps.

 

[hawkwind]

Is that your L6 steel?
How it is forge weld? I have coal forge.

 

[Larrin]

Is that your L6 steel?
How it is forge weld? I have coal forge.

Yes it is. It forge welds nicely. L6 is a little different, it has some more elements, so it is a little more difficult to weld. 1095 and 15n20 is the easiest combination to forge weld.