eBay Budget Damascus -- Is It Any Good?

S

Stargater

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There have been some postings for some beautiful Damascus knives at well under a hundred dollars on eBay, and after buying a couple that were reportedly made in the United States, I'm wondering if they're any good. I suspected at the time I bought them that they weren't, but I bought them for their beauty (besides, they have quite a tendency to rust). Some patterns are more beautiful than others and the knives I bought were full tang and had circular patterns in them that were well defined. I've since found these more difficult to find, but as I inspected the ones I had, I wondered how well they would function if I ever did have to use them. How long would they remain sharp? Would they snap under stress? Where did the steels come from (Pakistan?), and were they poorly heat treated? How do they bring the patterns out of the steel, and can users restore the finish on places that might have worn thin due to polishing, etc.?

The sheaths all look like they were made at the same place and, while functional, were hastily made, often with chops made at the right places for fitting.

Does anyone know if this Damascus is functional? Is any Damascus? I treat all my Damascus blades with Break Free, which is great for preventing rust and corrosion. I've noticed that tho the knives are gorgeous, there are imperfections. Sometimes, the rivets holding the scales on have caused minute fractures in the scale material, or other times the finish is inconsistent in places. Thus, it has imperfections one doesn't normally see in brand name production models.
 
the budget Damascus on ebay, if we are looking at the same stuff, is most likely quick folded scrap metal or acid etched to appear to me Damascus. The only Damascus Ive ever dealt with is Damasteel and their stuff is top notch for knives
 
Most of what you are seeing on EBay are compressed juicy fruit wrappers coming out of Pakistan.....low quality.
 
I would echo that the stuff is garbage. But its far from juicy fruit wrappers. Being that its an insult to juicy fruit wrappers. All joking aside I dont know what the stuff is made of but people have had the stuff tested and I believe it rarely has a hardness above 40 hrc.
 
You can't trust the junk steel coming out of Pakistan.

If you want something that just looks pretty, fine.

If you want something that is functionable, forgetaboutit.
 
Yes, I realize the steel is not up to U.S. standards, but I can't afford the really good Damascus and who actually uses Damascus blades anyway?

Here's one of the knives I bought on eBay. The pattern is beautiful, but there are a few minor blemishes that you wouldn't find in a production knife. 🔪

 
I'm not into it myself, but to answer the question of who uses it, I doubt many here buy Damascus blades solely for aesthetics. They want it to function, as well. Skyhorse has a great custom Buck 110 in Damascus is I recall correctly.
 
I have a kershaw skyline(2 actually) with Alabama damascus for a price that was good enough that I carry and use it every day. I understand having safe queens when the price is obscene, but damascus knives can be had for a price that doesn't hurt my feeling if I use it as intended. I keep one boxed up just to keep it pretty because it's one of my favorite folders to date. Kershawguy Has quite a few different damascus models in stock at prices that are well within user range. Just an option.

Justin
 
I recently bought a couple of Damascus blades from a seller on eBay. One is a half tang dagger with a blade length of about 6-1/2" and the other is just a basic blade 6-1/2" also half tang. The grind work and polishing is pretty pitiful, but for less than $20 a blade I think I can work with those issues. They are both described as being constructed of "15 N 20 and 1095 Carbon Steel" so I'll need to re-etch them after a little rework. I'm a beginner, so I can't afford the expensive blades as I start out, but as I learn and develop my own style I can eventually work my way up the ladder. The majority of my equipment is for lapidary purposes, but that should work out because I plan on using a number of different materials to make the handles and do some inlay work. If anyone has any suggestions for some articles on etching I'd sure appreciate it.

Thanks,
Rick
 
It depends, damascus like the Indian stuff Charlton uses is good, and some of the blade blanks offered offered by sellers from that area are good, but they are still much pricier than the average cheap damascus.

With the cheaper damascus knives, weak etching is common. So is delamination. I'd steer clear of any stick or hidden tang knives, most are stub tangs spot welded to threaded rod or similar.

As with most things, you still get what you pay for.
 
Here's a picture of Damascus on a custom hunter made by an American (Dan Graves) for comparison.
It is razor sharp, extremely functional, and hasn't rusted even though I store it in the sheath.
It is phenomenal.

153tdma.jpg
 
I can relate to the desire to own a knock-off OTF auto more than I can relate to wanting to own low quality damascus.
"I can't afford the real thing, so I got this crap." At least with a knock-off OTF, you can satisfy the curiosity a lot of us have about an OTF auto until we actually handle one.

But what exactly, in terms of enjoyment, are you getting out of this cheap damascus?
I don't think it looks particularly good compared to Nichols or some of the other expensive stuff.

It's like buying a $100 katana because you can't afford a $100,000 authentic katana. Sure, it might look OK, but it's not gonna impress anyone, yourself included, and that is kinda the point with ultra-premium materials, isn't it?
 
Rasco said:
I can relate to the desire to own a knock-off OTF auto more than I can relate to wanting to own low quality damascus.
"I can't afford the real thing, so I got this crap." At least with a knock-off OTF, you can satisfy the curiosity a lot of us have about an OTF auto until we actually handle one.

But what exactly, in terms of enjoyment, are you getting out of this cheap damascus?
I don't think it looks particularly good compared to Nichols or some of the other expensive stuff.

It's like buying a $100 katana because you can't afford a $100,000 authentic katana. Sure, it might look OK, but it's not gonna impress anyone, yourself included, and that is kinda the point with ultra-premium materials, isn't it?
Click to expand...

This is pretty much the long and short of it. I've been tempted a few times by the ebay "50$ Damascus Specials", but even though I think they look cool, in hand and performance wise I know they won't even hold a candle to the very modest knives I'm used to, so what's the point?
 
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