Etching a Damascus pattern on a HCS blade

M

Mikan

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Sep 10, 2015
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Greetings, I have recently found out about the technique where by submerging the blade in fleric chloride or sulfuric acid can bring out certain patterns in a blade.

I have recently bought a Lyuie Dao ( this one https://www.katana-samurai-sword.com/uk/liuye-dao-p-641.html) which i plan to give as a present to my brother and I was thinking of giving it the damascus pattern look to the blade seeing as him and me both always liked how it looked.
My questions to you who have prior experience with this field are.

1. If i simply dip the blade in a solution like done in this video will it get a pattern?

2. If not how could i give the blade a damascus pattern?

Thank you for your time and any future replies and help.

Mikan.
 
Last edited:
Welcome aboard.

Acids are used to enhance existing patterns in folded steels. Very often the folded steel "damascus" swords are made up of more than one steel. It is the reaction of the acid on different steels tat better reveals the pattern.

The sword you link is a single steel and through hardened. As it was likely ground out of a sheet or bar of steel and even if pounded/forged to shap, an etch really would not show much aside from darkening the entire blade. At most, you might reveal what looks like a fine wood grain

I suppose one could emulate a pattern with surface treatments and some use grinding/polishing to simulate a hamon.

Cheers

GC
 
horseclover said:
Welcome aboard.

Acids are used to enhance existing patterns in folded steels. Very often the folded steel "damascus" swords are made up of more than one steel. It is the reaction of the acid on different steels tat better reveals the pattern.

The sword you link is a single steel and through hardened. As it was likely ground out of a sheet or bar of steel and even if pounded/forged to shap, an etch really would not show much aside from darkening the entire blade. At most, you might reveal what looks like a fine wood grain

I suppose one could emulate a pattern with surface treatments and some use grinding/polishing to simulate a hamon.

Cheers

GC
Click to expand...


I thought so, thank you for the reply.

How exactly do I emulate & find a damascus pattern? ( I am Absolutely in love with how these knives look https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inzrn7kL-2U )
 
Youtube is like any other search site and a lot can be found through simple searches. I am sure there are plenty of FAQ discussions on how to fake a "damascus" pattern.

[video=youtube;-2UdAxFZ-kI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2UdAxFZ-kI[/video]

Going beyond the superficial will be a matter of how much interest and study one puts into the effort. There are few real secrets on the subjects of working steels in a folded pattern, or faking the appearance. It is really just a matter of studying and applying any process.

Here are some folded pattern swords by Kevin Cashen (aka The Professor a contributor here at BF ) The Dirk is from Vince Evans and the axe from Arms&Armor. The plain sword also from Kevin. This table shows some of Dennis Boas' collection. Shots from an event in 2005.

kd1jlt.jpg


2rdciue.jpg


2w4075j.jpg


A thread on the progress of one shown above
http://www.swordforum.com/forums/sh...h-secrets-revealed!-(Finished-Pictures-added)

An article from Kevin many years ago
http://www.tf.uni-kiel.de/matwis/amat/def_en/articles/road_to_damascus/sword_forum1.html

A good resource on ancient pattern welding in the online library
http://www.vikingsword.com/

The list goes on and on.


Cheers

GC

A couple of knives from Vince Evans that sit behind glass here in my own study

2u62u6g.jpg

9h1e1e.jpg
 
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Horseclover I must say, the blades on those Cashen swords look beautifully spot-on. I see he even made a bollocks dagger, nice.
 
Mecha said:
Horseclover I must say, the blades on those Cashen swords look beautifully spot-on. I see he even made a bollocks dagger, nice.
Click to expand...

The dirk is from Vince Evans. I have updated the post to clarify what the table shows.

Cheers

GC
 
Vince Evans picture gallery
http://www.picturetrail.com/vevans

Daryl Meier, the grandfather of pattern welding. Check out the bowie presented to President Bush
http://www.meiersteel.com/

There is so, so much out there and it seems a new generation is always beginning the journeys. There are many doing pattern welding and the list growing exponentially. I have only scratched the surface here in this thread.

Cheers

GC
 
horseclover said:
Youtube is like any other search site and a lot can be found through simple searches. I am sure there are plenty of FAQ discussions on how to fake a "damascus" pattern.

[video=youtube;-2UdAxFZ-kI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2UdAxFZ-kI[/video]

Going beyond the superficial will be a matter of how much interest and study one puts into the effort. There are few real secrets on the subjects of working steels in a folded pattern, or faking the appearance. It is really just a matter of studying and applying any process.

Here are some folded pattern swords by Kevin Cashen (aka The Professor a contributor here at BF ) The Dirk is from Vince Evans and the axe from Arms&Armor. The plain sword also from Kevin. This table shows some of Dennis Boas' collection. Shots from an event in 2005.

kd1jlt.jpg


2rdciue.jpg


2w4075j.jpg


A thread on the progress of one shown above
http://www.swordforum.com/forums/sh...h-secrets-revealed!-(Finished-Pictures-added)

An article from Kevin many years ago
http://www.tf.uni-kiel.de/matwis/amat/def_en/articles/road_to_damascus/sword_forum1.html

A good resource on ancient pattern welding in the online library
http://www.vikingsword.com/

The list goes on and on.


Cheers

GC

A couple of knives from Vince Evans that sit behind glass here in my own study

2u62u6g.jpg
Click to expand...

God! That pattern is so beautiful

I have researched on the subject a bit and found a very interesting video of someone etching a knife [video=youtube;0aQIBbYUB-w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aQIBbYUB-w&list=WL&index=129[/video] christ it looks 1000x times better than i first expected.

My only problems is how to get the pattern on the blade. I am not good enough at painting to handpaint a pattern on the whole blade, plus i dont have that much time until my brother comes..

Any ideas on how i could get the pattern on the Dao and if doing the same procedure as the one in the video is a good idea?
 
It's actually a very simple although time consuming process. Etch your pattern on the blade with clear nail polish or some other resistant. Then submerge the blade in a 3:1 ferric Chloride solution. keep doing this until you have the pattern you want. Just one word of caution. If the blade is submerged too long, or the solution is too strong, you will etch too deeply, both weakening your blade, and creating a rather other look. Clean the blade with windex to annul the acid. Done correctly, by an expert, such blades can really look nice.
 
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