Do you use your Damascus knives?

I won't choose a fancy Damascus knife as a dedicated workhorse, but I'll use it if I'm carrying it. Of course, my only Damascus is in my EDC rotation, amidst a stupidly large rotation that sees relatively light EDC use like opening packages or taking down the occasional bit of cardboard. The scariest things my EDC knives see might be the occasional zip tie. 😜

I mostly use the Civivi Damascus, which is made from 9Cr18Mov and 10Cr15CoMov. Its edge performance is more than adequate for my needs.
 
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Affirmative!

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I use mine the same way I use all others. That is mainly carrying and occasionally actually really doing/cutting something.
Only one that leaves the house with me with a "back-up for cutting something nasty"
is my Tirpitz damascus gold. The gold topping makes me think twice prior committing into something.
The back-up is something like SAK Classic, CRKT ArtDeco, Spyderco Ladybug or small damascus Higonokami
 
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Civivi Chronic, damascus on a budget. This is my dress up knife as it’s lightweight and works well with dress pants. So far only used for cutting long threads on my wife’s dress and an envelope or two.
 
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I will when I get my first one in a couple days - especially as it only costs $20. (Sitivien - just figuring out which one)
 
thatguymark said:
I will when I get my first one in a couple days - especially as it only costs $20. (Sitivien - just figuring out which one)
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Do they say what kind of Damascus it is? There are different types and there are differences in edge retention. For instance, Civivi's Damascus is made from 9Cr18Mov and 10Cr15CoMov. It performs fairly well. Trivisa's Damascus is made from 9Cr18Mov and 8Cr13Mov. It's not junk but it's definitely not as good. There are other types, including a 10Cr15CoMov core with some kind of cladding. I don't have experience with the latter.
 
Chronovore said:
Do they say what kind of Damascus it is? There are different types and there are differences in edge retention. For instance, Civivi's Damascus is made from 9Cr18Mov and 10Cr15CoMov. It performs fairly well. Trivisa's Damascus is made from 9Cr18Mov and 8Cr13Mov. It's not junk but it's definitely not as good. There are other types, including a 10Cr15CoMov core with some kind of cladding. I don't have experience with the latter.
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From the ST209 Amazon listing: "Damascus Blade is made of 10cr15mov and VG10 Steel Composite Forged". I ended up getting another model but presumably it's the same. Title of the listings will say "VG10 core."
 
thatguymark said:
From the ST209 Amazon listing: "Damascus Blade is made of 10cr15mov and VG10 Steel Composite Forged". I ended up getting another model but presumably it's the same. Title of the listings will say "VG10 core."
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I'm guessing there was some miscommunication or mistranslation involved in the quoted bit. 10Cr15CoMov is a Chinese analog of Japanese VG-10 and they are basically indistinguishable. AFAIK, a lot of the "VG-10" in Chinese knives is really 10Cr15CoMov but gets stamped and marketed as VG-10 for various reasons. At least in theory, any difference in performance between VG-10 and 10Cr15CoMov will come down to heat treatment.

That being said, my Chinese knives with regular blades stamped as 10Cr15CoMov are all more than adequate for my basic EDC needs. It should perform well as a core. I just don't know anything about the cladding and how they do the heat treatment. I'd definitely be interested in hearing about your use, sharpening, etc. after you've had time with it.
 
Chronovore said:
I'd definitely be interested in hearing about your use, sharpening, etc. after you've had time with it.
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Unfortunately my sharpening skills are non-existent and use will be very light, and because of that it would be a long time until I take it to a pro to get it sharpened. Given the Amazon free return policy if it ships with a pretty dull edge I'd just try to exchange it for another.

One informative review of the ST210 pointed out the core is too thin and off center, though. I didn't get that model either but will definitely be looking for that.
 
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Here are a few of my personal damascus knives that I carried and used daily for a year or two each. These knives were used for everything from daily box/package/tape/string cuts, to field dressing deer to cutting brush/branches and food prep on guided fishing trips.

Damascus blades actually mask wear and tear really well.

The last pic is my current daily user.





 
J. Doyle said:
Here are a few of my personal damascus knives that I carried and used daily for a year or two each. These knives were used for everything from daily box/package/tape/string cuts, to field dressing deer to cutting brush/branches and food prep on guided fishing trips.

Damascus blades actually mask wear and tear really well.

The last pic is my current daily user.





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Beautiful..... Love that last one.....Great lines..👍
 
I love using Damascus if it's actually Damascus (or pattern welded, wootz, whatever term you want to use to indicate that it is actually layered and folded steel). I have a few Japanese kitchen knives that are Damascus and they are fantastic. Never had a Damascus EDC, but I wouldn't hesitate to use it if I did.

Problem is, a lot of the "Damascus" blades these days are fake, even from some of the well-known names. It's just acid etched steel, and since the etched steel tends to be a lower quality choice, I see no reason to put it into service or even own it. The only purpose it can serve is as a display ornament. A fake ornament. It's a shame the market seems to have accepted this practice, but people buy it.
 
I only have one Damascus knife, and I know it is real Damascus because I know the fellow who made both the steel and the knife. I never use it, but that's just me.
 
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