How is odins eye damascus made

jim moyer

jim moyer

Joined
Dec 8, 2005
Messages
1,158
This old man needs some guidence on creating the odins eye damascus pattern. Yes old - 68 next week.:(:(
 
...and you better take good notes and post it up here for the rest of us floundering blokes....please? :o
 
Hello:

There are several different patterns that go by that name..some involve the drilling of various diameter holes to a depth of approx 1/4 to 1/3 the thickness of the bar, alternating sides, some use a pattern die, some you remove material using a grinder..If this is the pattern I am thinking you are referring to.

Do you have a picture of the afore mentioned pattern?? It would be a great help.

I can usually figure it out by looking at it...

NVHammerHead
 
NVHammerHead said:
Hello:

There are several different patterns that go by that name..some involve the drilling of various diameter holes to a depth of approx 1/4 to 1/3 the thickness of the bar, alternating sides, some use a pattern die, some you remove material using a grinder..If this is the pattern I am thinking you are referring to.

Do you have a picture of the afore mentioned pattern?? It would be a great help.

I can usually figure it out by looking at it...

NVHammerHead
Click to expand...

This post in the gallery is what got me curious.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=653530
 
Hello:

Ok..I know how that pattern was done and out of respect for the maker who forged the steel I will not tell you exactly how he did it..but I will try to explain how you CAN get the same basic patern in a different way than he did..I am very picky when it comes to "propriatary" stuff like this...

What that pattern is, well it's a variation of the classic Ladder pattern and looking at the photo you can get the same basic pattern after the final weld with the ladder "rungs" ground in 1/3 the way down depth wise. Now you need to have the laminate layers dead on straight so if you are forging this by hand or a power hammer chances are you won't get the same results. A press is the best way to go on this using kiss blocks or some other mechanical stop for dimensional forging..(I have limit switches on mine with a deadman's foot pedal control)

I would start by welding up for the first weld approx 75 to 100 layers of 1060/L6 sheet and do as heavy a draw down as you can at one time under the press to prevent distortion through the weld/draw cycles. Keeping the laminate as straight as you can...The "thicker" appearing layers are the results of the hollow grinding. That is a very low layer count pattern so...I would double the bar and pattern from that.

Cut the rungs in the same as you would for a ladder pattern..I usually use an abrasive wheel, but on something like this..an end mill would be better after you debark the bar.

Flatten under the press at a welding heat after the bar rungs are cut and do no more hot work or you will distort the pattern. Now this is only one way to get this same basic pattern..there are many ways to go about this, as in bladesmithing in general..So many ways you could write a book on it and never cover them all...

You can also use a top/bottom "laddering die" and then grind off the bar until it is flat. Both methods work...

Other makers I am sure will tell you different ways, and they should all pretty much work...

Hope this helps..my work tends to be more into research on how they did stuff 1500 years ago...so...my techniques tend to lean that way....

NVHammerHead
 
Thanks NVHammerHead the description you gave is something like what I did a couple of years ago with a string in a hunter style. I still have a small piece that I will do a double hollow grind to see what I end up with.

Thanks for your time and effort,

Best regards,

Jim
 
jim moyer said:
I spoke with Delbert for over an hour. The young man was a great help, he sure knows his damascus. I found some beautiful billets on is Internet site.
http://www.ealyknives.com/damascus_steel.htm
Thanks Delbert......
Click to expand...

Just over an hour ?? :confused: That's it ?? :eek: ;)

Delbert Ealy is so full of information an hour is just scratching the surface !!

When I talk to Del I get a chair, something to prop my feet on, a BIG cup of coffee and a full pot on the burner :D ;)

All joking aside, Del is a great guy, and VERY generous with his extensive knifemaking knowledge
Most important thing in a conversation with Del is a pen and paper for all the info he's willing to share :)
Two thumbs up for Del :thumbup: :thumbup:



:cool:
 
Mr. Moyer:

You are most certainly welcome....Happy to be of some help..I am out here in Southern Nevada and due to work and all the internet is usually the only "socializing" I get to do, which is fine with me cause I value my privacy and my time I can spend with my family.

I have been pretty much "out of the loop" as far as the "custom knife world" goes due to several factors, one being my National Guard committment...but I reirted two years back and now I am more or less back to swinging a hammer...

As I said before there is usually more than one way to do something...What works for me may or may not work for you and vis a vi... I work real simple using mostly hand tools. That is the way I learned so....(I learned the basics from a Amish smith when I was a kid..) that's what I do...

So "stumbling" onto this place was a real boon to me...

Happy to of helped..

NVHammerHead
 
Thanks for the info. I'm going to try this on a billet for a chef or santoku knife.

Thanks :)

Red's Edge
 
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