How to prevent Damascus from fading?

Hyesouljah

Hyesouljah

Gold Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2019
Messages
3,203
Hi friends, got any tips as to how you keep Damascus from fading? Particularly near the thumb stud. What has worked for you? Or is this just the nature of Damascus?

JY3jfbd.jpg
 
Don't use.it is the.only sure fire way.Not to lose the dark etch!!!!! Chris Reeve knives will re etch I think!!
If you're adventurous buy some Ferric chloride n do it yourself.. Just watch Todd Begg's video on YouTube about etching because there are a few things you have to do before dropping said blade in the drink!!!!
Good luck.
 
That's one sweet UG! Good to see you plan to use it too. :thumbsup: I'm kind of in the same boat and balancing on whether to use or not. Gosh dang Chris Reeves are so nice to use though and is what they are meant for so will likely go that route. I was worried about the overall blade fading with food prep from the juices both meat and citrus but form what I gather it is mostly cardboard and such that will show the most wear. As far as the thumb stud area, you could try a little coconut oil or ren wax or maybe even paraffin to provide that slight barrier in between.

As far as re-etching, CRK recommends only once in the blade's lifetime. That isn't very much as weakens the blade supposedly. The simple answer may just be use and then after the blade is really well worn then have it re-etched.
 
Modern damascus basically is two steels pattern-welded together, typcally, one steel is stainless and one is not. The knife maker dip the blade into acid, the stainless steel stays shiny while the non stainless one turns dark, revealling the pattern. The pattern is only on the surface of the blade, so it will wear and fade over time.

Now, understanding how it works, it's fairly simple to do it on your own: just buy some acid and dip the blade in.

But what acid to choose? I'm glad you asked, for the quickest result, people usually use Ferric Chloride, but since this acid etch steel quickly, it will ... etch the steel quickly. Meaning that you could damage the knife if left in for too long. A safer but slower solution (pun intended) is to use Vinegar or Coffee. Depending on the steel, concentration, tempurature, it could take one hour to a day, so no one can really tell you how long it'll take.

Also, nail polish, clean before, clean up after, blah blah

TLDR: you can re-etch damascus ... if you know how.
 
i recall somewhere that unless the folded steel is acid etched, the way to see the patern is to aply water to dicern the beuty. a wonderfuly modern asthetic aplied to an ancient technique to enhance the properties of availiable ore. and who knows mabey they acid etched in times gone by because it looks so awsomely cool🙃
 
I don't know how the stainless patterns stay robust, but the carbon steel pattern are dipped in acid. If the steel was not dipped in acid, you would not see the pattern. Damascus pattern is delicate.
 
The Aflac Duck said:
Have it re-etched when it gets bad, otherwise just enjoy it. Beautiful CGG by the way.
Click to expand...
I think that's the route I'll likely take. Thank you!
jfk1110 said:
Don't use.it is the.only sure fire way.Not to lose the dark etch!!!!! Chris Reeve knives will re etch I think!!
If you're adventurous buy some Ferric chloride n do it yourself.. Just watch Todd Begg's video on YouTube about etching because there are a few things you have to do before dropping said blade in the drink!!!!
Good luck.
Click to expand...
Don't use it is not an option for me :)
Gilbert G said:
That's one sweet UG! Good to see you plan to use it too. :thumbsup: I'm kind of in the same boat and balancing on whether to use or not. Gosh dang Chris Reeves are so nice to use though and is what they are meant for so will likely go that route. I was worried about the overall blade fading with food prep from the juices both meat and citrus but form what I gather it is mostly cardboard and such that will show the most wear. As far as the thumb stud area, you could try a little coconut oil or ren wax or maybe even paraffin to provide that slight barrier in between.

As far as re-etching, CRK recommends only once in the blade's lifetime. That isn't very much as weakens the blade supposedly. The simple answer may just be use and then after the blade is really well worn then have it re-etched.
Click to expand...
I think I might order some renwax and try that, it'll be good to have for my traditionals as well. I am most certainly going to be using this knife. Won't be used hard but it'll get pocket time and be used for sure.
PMQ said:
Modern damascus basically is two steels pattern-welded together, typcally, one steel is stainless and one is not. The knife maker dip the blade into acid, the stainless steel stays shiny while the non stainless one turns dark, revealling the pattern. The pattern is only on the surface of the blade, so it will wear and fade over time.

Now, understanding how it works, it's fairly simple to do it on your own: just buy some acid and dip the blade in.

But what acid to choose? I'm glad you asked, for the quickest result, people usually use Ferric Chloride, but since this acid etch steel quickly, it will ... etch the steel quickly. Meaning that you could damage the knife if left in for too long. A safer but slower solution (pun intended) is to use Vinegar or Coffee. Depending on the steel, concentration, tempurature, it could take one hour to a day, so no one can really tell you how long it'll take.

Also, nail polish, clean before, clean up after, blah blah

TLDR: you can re-etch damascus ... if you know how.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I think if push come to shove years down the line I'll send it to CRK and have them do it,
 
Beautiful knife. With damascus, I've found that putting some high quality
pure mineral oil on the blade, and then spreading it around (carefully)
with a (clean) fingertip. The damascus begins to darken almost
immediately. Wipe off the remaining oil with a microfiber cloth but
leave a bit on the blade as a "sheen"
Then just put the knife somewhere safe, as dust and lint-free as possible.
Not in a sheath, of course,
IME the blade will continue to darken somewhat leaving real nice color
and highlighted etching. Then, oiling or waxing it every few weeks
will maintain the look as it was when you bought it.
Enjoy, and hope you find this info to be useful.
 
dorset said:
Beautiful knife. With damascus, I've found that putting some high quality
pure mineral oil on the blade, and then spreading it around (carefully)
with a (clean) fingertip. The damascus begins to darken almost
immediately. Wipe off the remaining oil with a microfiber cloth but
leave a bit on the blade as a "sheen"
Then just put the knife somewhere safe, as dust and lint-free as possible.
Not in a sheath, of course,
IME the blade will continue to darken somewhat leaving real nice color
and highlighted etching. Then, oiling or waxing it every few weeks
will maintain the look as it was when you bought it.
Enjoy, and hope you find this info to be useful.
Click to expand...
Thank you! I actually coated it lightly with mineral oil and cleaned the excess off with a microfiber a few days ago. I just ordered some Renaissance wax as well so I’ll apply a thin coat of that on the blade as well when it arrives.
Every few weeks for the wax? Sounds good.
 
Cool

I think a lot of damascus collectors use that very same
regimen with consistently excellent results.

One thing, though - as amazing a product as Ren Wax is, one thing it is NOT
is food safe. In other words, it isn't food safe. That chemical smell alone
would get you thinking about that,

I use a couple of food safe waxes on my damascus knives which
I plan to use for food prep,

Amazon.com: Caron & Doucet - Natural Wood Conditioning Vegan Wax Finish - 100% Plant Based Wood Conditioning and Polishing Wax Finish - Orange Scented - Suitable for Natural Wood Furniture. (3.5oz) : Health & Household

Amazon.com: Caron & Doucet - Natural Wood Conditioning Vegan Wax Finish - 100% Plant Based Wood Conditioning and Polishing Wax Finish - Orange Scented - Suitable for Natural Wood Furniture. (3.5oz) : Health & Household
www.amazon.com

Amazon.com: WALRUS OIL - Wood Wax, 3 oz Can, FDA Food-Safe, Cutting Board Wax and Board Cream : Health & Household

Amazon.com: WALRUS OIL - Wood Wax, 3 oz Can, FDA Food-Safe, Cutting Board Wax and Board Cream : Health & Household
www.amazon.com

Over the years, I've found its good to switch off from mineral oil to wax and then back.'
Not sure I can fully articulate the reason, though.

Anyway, enjoy your damascus!
 
dorset said:
Cool

I think a lot of damascus collectors use that very same
regimen with consistently excellent results.

One thing, though - as amazing a product as Ren Wax is, one thing it is NOT
is food safe. In other words, it isn't food safe. That chemical smell alone
would get you thinking about that,

I use a couple of food safe waxes on my damascus knives which
I plan to use for food prep,

Amazon.com: Caron & Doucet - Natural Wood Conditioning Vegan Wax Finish - 100% Plant Based Wood Conditioning and Polishing Wax Finish - Orange Scented - Suitable for Natural Wood Furniture. (3.5oz) : Health & Household

Amazon.com: Caron & Doucet - Natural Wood Conditioning Vegan Wax Finish - 100% Plant Based Wood Conditioning and Polishing Wax Finish - Orange Scented - Suitable for Natural Wood Furniture. (3.5oz) : Health & Household
www.amazon.com

Amazon.com: WALRUS OIL - Wood Wax, 3 oz Can, FDA Food-Safe, Cutting Board Wax and Board Cream : Health & Household

Amazon.com: WALRUS OIL - Wood Wax, 3 oz Can, FDA Food-Safe, Cutting Board Wax and Board Cream : Health & Household
www.amazon.com

Over the years, I've found its good to switch off from mineral oil to wax and then back.'
Not sure I can fully articulate the reason, though.

Anyway, enjoy your damascus!
Click to expand...
Thank you sir, I just received my ren wax and was wondering if it’s actually food safe or not. This knife is definitely not gna be a user as my other knives but if it’s in my pocket and I need to cut something it’ll definitely do it’s duty.

I usually use my knives for food prep when it’s on trips with me so I’ll just have to be careful with the ren wax.

Definitely going to apply some to my traditional knives with wood.
 
I would think that if you kept the knife in its original box and stored it in a drawer away from light that it shouldn’t fade.
 
Hyesouljah Hyesouljah I have seen Alec Steele use instant coffee after a ferric chloride etch to further enhance the Damascus pattern.

I'm not sure of the ratio of the instant coffee to water he used but it really did help after an hour or 2 soak.

​

 
Hyesouljah said:
Thank you sir, I just received my ren wax and was wondering if it’s actually food safe or not. This knife is definitely not gna be a user as my other knives but if it’s in my pocket and I need to cut something it’ll definitely do it’s duty.

I usually use my knives for food prep when it’s on trips with me so I’ll just have to be careful with the ren wax.

Definitely going to apply some to my traditional knives with wood.
Click to expand...
Some advice - with ren wax, a very little goes a very long way. I barely glide the cloth over the wax in the bottle, and sometimes that is too much. Great stuff Renaissance Wax .
 
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