Do you use your damascus blades?

Shadow449

Shadow449

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For those of you that own damascus blades, do you use them or are they just show pieces? If used what type of tasks, light or heavy use? I have no experience with damascus so I don't know what their intendeded purpose is... besides looking awesome that is.
 
I do not use my Mnandi Snakewood Raindrop Damascus. I just can't bring myself to use it. Down the road I would like to find a Damascus user.....
 
Vaporstang said:
I do not use my Mnandi Snakewood Raindrop Damascus. I just can't bring myself to use it. Down the road I would like to find a Damascus user.....
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I don't think i would be able to use a damascus blade either, i'd be too aftaid to scratch it. How do they achieve the various patterns? Are the dark areas like a DLC coating or something similar?
 
Shadow449 said:
I don't think i would be able to use a damascus blade either, i'd be too aftaid to scratch it. How do they achieve the various patterns? Are the dark areas like a DLC coating or something similar?
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The steel is composed of two different steels, folded over on themselves many times (dozens to hundreds) to create the pattern. The blade is then etched to show the difference between the metals, as they react differently.

I don't use my small annual with damascus and mammoth, but I do use my large 21 with snakewood and damascus. Works great so far, though it's only been a couple weeks.

Search "damascus use" and you should find a variety of threads about this.
 
blade man said:
The steel is composed of two different steels, folded over on themselves many times (dozens to hundreds) to create the pattern. The blade is then etched to show the difference between the metals, as they react differently.

I don't use my small annual with damascus and mammoth, but I do use my large 21 with snakewood and damascus. Works great so far, though it's only been a couple weeks.

Search "damascus use" and you should find a variety of threads about this.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info blademan. Sounds like it would he a very interesting process to watch.
 
Shadow449 said:
I don't think i would be able to use a damascus blade either, i'd be too aftaid to scratch it. How do they achieve the various patterns? Are the dark areas like a DLC coating or something similar?
Click to expand...

The steel is pattern welded, and the finish is acid etched. The lighter colored waves in the pattern are often due to one of the steels having a high nickel content (or similarly natured metal that doesn't darken as easily when acid etched) and the result is a contrast between the steel that was susceptible to darkening and the steel that was not as susceptible remaining bright.

That doesn't necessarily apply to Devin Thomas' stainless damascus but, is my general understanding of the contrast in damascus patterns. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
 
I usually carry my Insingo but if I'm not, I'm carrying my Large 21 Damascus and I use it. I bought it to use.
 
This one came to me as a user, complete with marks of use and a missing birth card, so I used it for about a year.

SmallDamascus-Lanyard.jpg


Then I sent it to the spa with several others, asking only for a light tuning. It came back pristine. I already knew that Chris has done the graphics on on, and when I showed it to him at a Blade show he said he'd also ground the blade on it.

ChrisHoldingSeb_zps4d3bc455.jpg


I decided that would be a good reason to leave it pristine, and switched to a BG-42 small Reg UG for my light use carry.
 
Depending on your preferences, DT is better than S35Vn.

If you like a higher degree of sharpness and are willing to give up a little on the "working sharpness" you will like DT better. If you like going a LONG time between sharpening, then the carbide-rich S35Vn will be more to your liking. Honestly, most buyers won't even notice the difference though.

As far as scratches, either blade can be scratched, but both are finished in such a way that you won't notice all but the deepest gouges (which are pretty rare among users of the sort that pony up for a knife like these).

Hope this helps, honestly the biggest part of the decision should be price and blade shape (and whether you think the looks are worth the price). I really don't think there is any hidden downside to the DT other that your own personal apprehension to use it (possibly).

I use mine without reservation...probably harder than a lot of people use their more standard models. Fear not;)

My only dis on them is they will not make one for me in the tanto blade!
 
I've been carrying my damascus bark mnandi now for over a year with no problems. i haven't skinned any deer or been in any knife fights with it, but it's cut many items incl heavy cardboard no problem
pic shows it with its sheath i use
 

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Lone_Wolfe said:
This one came to me as a user, complete with marks of use and a missing birth card, so I used it for about a year.

SmallDamascus-Lanyard.jpg


Then I sent it to the spa with several others, asking only for a light tuning. It came back pristine. I already knew that Chris has done the graphics on on, and when I showed it to him at a Blade show he said he'd also ground the blade on it.

ChrisHoldingSeb_zps4d3bc455.jpg


I decided that would be a good reason to leave it pristine, and switched to a BG-42 small Reg UG for my light use carry.
Click to expand...

Wow, she's a beauty!! Thanks for sharing.
 
I just got my first Damascus and am carrying and do plan on using it hard. Of course by hard I mean those really big envelopes! Working at a desk doesn't provide many opportunities to pull out the knife.
 
Dang it! Now I'm looking at CRK distributors' websites for Damascus bladed knives.....like I can afford that! LOL
 
I only have one Damascus bladed sebenza, a small annual. I do use it, but not for nearly as much as it is capable of doing. It is wicked sharp, actually probably the best edge out of my crk knives! I have been pondering buying a plain version with the Damascus blade and make it a real user.
 
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