Do you use your Damascus knives?

K

KenHash

Joined
Sep 11, 2014
Messages
4,682
I realized that my damascus knives have become safe queens. I think it happened subconciously. Then I forgot about them.lol
Do you actually "use" your damascus knives the same way as you do your non-damscus ones?
 
Yes I do..I only own 5 blades in Damascus and 4 are DamaSteel......... The last is carbon steel.....
I think probably once a week I have a Damascus blade on me would be the average!!!!!!
I definitely enjoy using them and also enjoy the occasional reaction from people...... Wats dat made out a'.....😜
 
Kettleman said:
It is important to consider that us CRK guys are a bit different ;)
Click to expand...
A bit? :p


As y'all have seen in the EDC thread, I carry and use my Damasteel R&H Knives Tasca 2. I don't abuse it, just light to medium use. I always try to pick a knife to carry based on my expectations of use that day. Working from home I can always just grab something else.

That being said...

My Alan Davis custom has become an around the house only knife. It's Alabama Damascus, very very thin blade, and I'm afraid I'll break it. Plus the clip doesn't have great retention, and I worry I will lose it.
 
Gary W. Graley said:
Horsewright Horsewright Dave, excellent stuff sir !

and yes, pull out the pocket and remove lint when ever you think to do it, and a slip sheath protects from dust bunnies as well as protecting the knife while in your pocket too.

Leather is veggie tan that is milled, it's very soft and supple and yet takes embossing pretty nicely.

Untitled by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

For those that like stitching down both sides, this one turned out pretty nice

Untitled by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

Untitled by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

G2
Click to expand...

Nice job G2👍
 
Years ago I use to make a lot of damascus knives for working cowboys. Most of them were EDC types and were carried as such. I EDCed a small damascus fixie for years. Some were even lost in cattle chutes, buried in manure for months and run over by 1300 lb cows on a regular basis. Even with mammoth ivory handles:

fxl58jT.jpg


1C1bgd8.jpg


Lil elbow grease and some elk horn and ready to ride the range again:

1emKUoQ.jpg
 
My only damascus blades are straight razors and kitchen knives; two areas where damascus is more common on daily users and not just reserved for gussied up special editions. So I do use them.

I think another factor is that damascus steels don't have the performance properties of the best supersteels, so on a folder you'd be sacrificing some performance for looks, which I'd generally prefer not to. For straight razors and kitchen knives, however, the blade needs to be kept razor sharp, so toughness and ease of sharpening are more important than edge retention. For these blades, you're not giving up anything by going with damascus.
 
Of all the Damascus I own, 90% of it is Devon Thomas'. If I could compare it to anything, It would be a well-done, superbly heat-treated 14c28n. It sharpens up easily yet still holds an edge for a long time. Also it responds & performs better with a toothy grit, like 600-800 grit.
 
Last edited:
In the past, I thought that the technique of folding steel 500 or a thousand times was what made the Japanese swords so special. I didn't understand why a pattern welded blade with a dramatic patrn wa as good as a repetedly folded blade.

Now, I am wondering if a high alloy teel such as S35VN, Magnicut or some other modern formulation is the way to make a blade of superior performance and utility.

I mean, so what if the blade blank is welded up from a chain saw chain or a thousand needles or nicle plated ball bearings. . . .does that make it better?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top