How many don't care for the looks of Damascus?

Durwood

Durwood

Joined
Dec 10, 2003
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I was showing a custom made random pattern damascus knife to a friend the other day, along with several non damascus customs, and he said, "I'd like to have one of those, but with a shiny blade, not with that tie-dyed sh**" I didn't know what to say, I thought most people liked damascus blades. I admit I don't care for some exotic damascus patterns, but I do appreciate the artistic nature of them. I've about stopped showing all of my custom knives to the uneducated!
 
LOL!!!!! I show mine and get asked how they carved all those lines in it!! :eek:
Then, I like watching their faces as I tell them what really went into making it... I get a kick of watching as the comprehension dawns in them...

Just think of it as a chance to educate a potential future knife knutt!
 
There are patterns I don't like, but for the most part I tend to really like pattern welded and wootz/bulat steel. In my opinion, the patterns add greatly to the eye appeal.

It is all a personal taste thing. I know a few people that don't like damask steel and some that actually hate the way it looks. Personally, I think it is worth every penny of the extra amount I am going to have to pay to get it.
 
It all depends on the person I guess. I don't think anyone can really say they don't like damascus, because the patterns vary greatly, but some will tell you they don't like it. For most people that have never seen it before, they usually like something with a big bold pattern. The more of that you see, the more you will appreciate the more intricate patterns. There are so many different types of patterns, there has got to be some damascus that a person will like.
 
joeshredd said:
Just think of it as a chance to educate a potential future knife knutt!
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joeshred nailed it.
Your friend probably didn't know what he was looking at and couldn't appreciate the work and talent that went into making that Damascus. Part of the joy of your collecting knives should be sharing and enlightening the people that you show your collection.

Your friend might still prefer a non-damascus blade, nothing wrong with that. Then you can get into the different finishes; mirror, satin, beadblasted...etc.
If your friend can't learn a little bit more about knives from you, who will he learn it from?
 
I appreciate good damascus but I am only now collecting it because I never thought it would be good for user blades. I have been corrected :)
 
You guys have made a lot of good points, this guy is definately interested in custom knives now, which is a leap in itself for some. I didn't immediately take to customs or damascus either. Right now he's really liking my Ray Cover knives, and also a fixed blade from Daniel Ehrenberger. I'm trying to get him to go to a show, I think that'll finish him off :D
 
I like it sometimes, dislike it other times. It all depends on the knife as a whole. Tightly patterend damascus looks good with carbon fibre. Random damascus looks good with exotic woods or bone/horn. Sometimes damascus doesn't look right at all. I tend to prefer normal blades rather than damascus, but sometimes damascus just looks right.
 
I generally prefer a nice hand rubbed blade or one polished to show a nice hamon over patterned damascus. Recently I have however been taken with the very tight patterned, darkly etched blades (i.e. Bailey Bradshaw's "book edge" pattern) for large knives. It simply looks more subdued, elegant if you will when compared to the brightly finished, high contrast stuff that can appear overdone at times. I also really like random twist and simple ladder patterns on folders.
 
I like the really tight wootz sort of stuff (that you have to really look at to see that it's forge welded) as well as some cable damascus, and I can certainly appreciate the woork and technical know-how that goes into, but personally nothing pleases me more than to see a reall nice hamon and clay heat treat, or any regular differentially HT'd blade. I've not met too many knives I don't like, and I love the two Damascus knives I own, but I can understand not liking Damascus, particularly if you don't know what it is. Then again a lot of people love that God-awful rainbow Chive or whatever that rainbow anodized thing Kershaw sells is called, and I can't stand it, so beauty is in the eye of the beholder! :D
 
I have a couple of customers that will not buy damascus, and one that only likes random patterns. He thinks other patterns look to regular and contrived. It would be boring if we all liked the same thing I suppose.
As for patterns I still think a really tight ladder pattern is hard to beat.
Doug
 
I can't think of a damascus pattern that I categorically dislike - I love the variety of looks that pattern-welded steel has to offer. But I also like a clean, crisp carbon steel blade with a well-executed hand-rubbed satin finish. A wispy / wavy / smoky hamon is a nice thing to have as well. It's all good. I'm not to fond of a mirror finish, but most of the bladesmiths seem to stay away from that anyhow.

I agree with Doug that there is something timeless about a real tight ladder-pattern. Particularly impressive on a larger blade, IMHO. Which reminds me,I don't have one. :grumpy: Must see about rectifying that situation. ;)

Cheers,

Roger
 
I don't like damascus. The more of it I see a maker do, the less I like his knives. I think it's something similar to "art at the sake of function" debates. Is any damascus better than the best non-damascus steels out there? From everything I've read, (which is not much) it is primarily done for visual effect. I don't find much appealing about that, for it's own sake.

I don't have a jewelers eye for knives, all the hype seems to be at the expense of quality. If this steel used truly made a better knife in the end, I would look at it differently.
David
 
Disliking damascus is not a sign of being "uneducated" nor of having bad taste. I own damascus, but there's a lot of damascus that doesn't float my boat. At some knife shows, I've seen tables of knives with crude damascus blades, but great handles and sheaths but these blades were not selling. Other people with better damscus were havng good sales.

I don't care how much time it took to make, some damascus is ugly and crude. Some damascus is pretty, but the execution of the pattern on the knife is poor so the damascus looks out of place. Sometimes a damascus knife can become too busy. For example, one pattern for the bolster, another for the knife, mosaic pins, a patterned mammoth ivory handle...this can combine to be artistic...or noisy. Some people are more attracted to simplicity.
 
brownshoe, I didn't mean that I thought only the "uneducated" don't like damascus. On that statement I was referring more to the general derogatory comments I sometimes receive about my customs from Non knife guys. I'll admit that most of the really artsy stuff doesn't do a lot for me either, and I've said so on the this forum before. Like a lot of folks have said there are lots of individual tastes in customs knives. I also don't care for really large knives as far as owning them goes, but I've seen some big ones I'd like to shrink :D
 
I tend to be a minimalist. I misspoke when I said I own two Damascus knives. I actually own three. One has a lot of nickel and was made by Sean Couch (BFC's Laredo 7mm) and was meant to be more of a display piece. No voids or folds, excellent etch, great knife. The handes are really simple and so the main focus is the blade and I can stare at it all day. Another one is a little cruder, more of a desk knife/letter opener style. IF it was etched it was etched very lightly, some voids, definitely says "I'm handmade" but still a cool knife and more subtle. Still very cool.

My favorite was made by a BFC member called Rotor, who I don't know is around still or not. It's cable damascus, has a little filework, a really dark etch, a traditional sort of "Green River" upswept blade shape, and an integral handle that is folded back on itself like a patch knife. The handle is wrapped in a leather thong and has a big old bone bead on it with a skull engraved in it (think something from Tibet, not Jolly Roger). The whole thing works together like you wouldn't believe. Very organic, very handmade, very unique and it's one of my favorite knives.

As with any knife, the whole thing has to work. Gestalt and all that jazz. Some of the ones I see in the magazine (like the powder/EDM stuff) makes me go "Well I'll be damned, that looks like a lot of work", but I'd never buy something like that for myself.

The great thing is that they're all out there waiting to be collected, regardless of what your tastes are (even if you like the Rainbow Leek or whatever that sucker is!)!
 
Visually, there are some very beautiful patterns in damascus. If it made the knife a stronger better cutting instrument, I would like it more. I understand the appeal artistically and there is a creative element that I can respect. I just wish I heard more knifemakers who test and use it, develop it to the point that it actually rivals their non-damascus blades in performance.

I ask myself when I see a knife what the knifemaker has as a goal, whether it is artistic or functional. Can it be both, in the case of using damascus, I guess so. But, is there a trade-off in performance? If so, is it worth it for just the "effect" of it all?
David
 
2knife said:
I just wish I heard more knifemakers who test and use it, develop it to the point that it actually rivals their non-damascus blades in performance.
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As I recall, Kevin Cashen won an ABS cutting competition with a damascus blade.

Cheers,

Roger
 
Weren't the origins of damascus that its multiple layers gave the blade more strength? I realize that with today's wonder steels, it would be tough for a damascus blade to offer better performance, but, as one who primarily loves the artistry of knives, I like many different patterns, though I like equally a satin finished blade with a well executed hamon. I have to admit, lately, for me to like a knife, the blade needs to be either damascus, or have a temper line, otherwise, the blade seems too plain.

As others said, I think I like the damascus patterns that are relatively random and evoke that hand forged feel, like Fisk's Wolfstooth for example, or Mike Williams randoms and Bradshaw's, I'm also a fan of multi-bar composite blades. I appreciate the skill necessary to make these types of blades, and it gives me warm fuzzies when I see them. :)

Here is a Mike Williams pattern on a big 12" bowie.

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Fisk Wolfstooth...

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Bradshaw's multi-bar...

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Here's a great Bradshaw small bowie with both a sweet pattern and a vivid temper line.

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Here's one by Steve Dunn, a little racy for a MS, but still neat...

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But, I can also appreciate the complexity of some of the more common, almost artificial looking ones by guys like Devin Thomas, like this Reptilian...

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And, who could forget Don Hanson's amazing mosaics...

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Here's a Kious which combines a multi-bar bolster and a complex mosaic blade. Frankly, as I look over these pictures, it becomes hard to believe a knife lover can't appreciate the beauty and complexity of good damascus.

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OK, I'm done... :)
 
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