INTEGRAL DAMASCUS KHUKURI

D

Damian T

Joined
Nov 2, 1999
Messages
32
Hi Everyone,

Has anyone very heard of a Integral Damascus Khukuri? About the size of a AK 20 inch. Any info would be good.

Damian T
 
Yeah, and I remember the dreams I used to have 30 years ago of Raquel Welch naked in my bed. Pipe dream ( that phrase comes from the dreams that occured after smoking a pipe of opium ). I'm not laughing at you, just that it would be such a project.

Check out Daryl Meir who makes damascus stock for other knifemakers, or Jim Hirisoulis at Salamander Armory.

How about a damascus blade with mokume bolster and buttcap instead?

Stop! No more! I'm starting to hyperventilate over your idea! I wil not think about this anymore - did I tell you that sending some damascus stock to the kamis was discussed a few months back - I will put this pathetic obsession of yours out of my mind......

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"All who follow the leading of God's Spirit are God's own sons." Romans 8:14 ( SO THERE!!! )

 
Alright this has been bothering me for a while. As I understand it the technique for making "true" Damascus steel was lost in the middle of the nineteenth century when humans started using guns mainly guns. All of the blades I own were custom made for me except for a couple of barlows that I inherited so I've never paid close attention to the mass production part of knives. I've seen advertisments for damascus blades in magazines like Bud K and always assumed that it was merely a reproduction of damascus, not the real thing. You know, common steel with the damascus marbling pattern. So what is the truth. Have today's metallurgists succeeded where their predecessors failed? Please let me know. As always your help ia appriecated.

- D

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Where the lion's skin will not reach, you must patch it out with the fox's.
 
Hey guys,
Have you guys heard of Vince Evans? He makes custom Khukuris. I have seen one of his Damascus Khukuris and the workmanship, and the laminations are very impressive. He also makes normal working one out of 5160 steel. For all the custom Khukuris made Vince gets two thumbs up! He can be reached @ vevans@cybertrails.com.
 
Thanks for the help, it certainly clears things up!

- D

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Where the lion's skin will not reach, you must patch it out with the fox's.
 
VHD,
Where've you been, Lad? The art was never lost.... never. Fashion for its use cycles.
The smiths that can do it consistantly, are not now, nor ever were plentiful.

There were always those that could do it, but it's quite time consuming and those people that are willing to pay for it varies considerably. At the moment there is a resurgence of interest, but it may dwindle again within the next fifty years.

While the proscess may be a joy to behold, it certainly contains no magic properties. It does have some advantages over humoginus steel, but it does have some disadvantages as well, cost not withstanding.
Dan
 
Thanks for expert opinion. Like Yvsa, Dan is an old shop hand and I respect his opinion and ability just as I do any excellent shop hand.

For what it is worth, when I was an engineer I used to go down and work sometimes with the mechanics to get ideas and to see what problems I might be causing them with my own notions. It paid off handsomely for me. I learned things from the shop people I could never get out of a book or anywhere else. A good shop hand is worth his weight in not salt but gold!

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Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ

 
Wow! A Damascus steel Khukuri! Now that's one I would get just for having. That would be a beautiful blade! What is the purpose of Damascus steel? Aside from its cost, what are the pros and cons of having a knife made of such material?

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When the chips are down, the buffalo is empty.

 
The best pattern-welded steel is as good as 5160 but not better, except in looking prettier.

The popular idea that pattern-welded steel consists of layers of high carbon and low carbon steel and somehow combines their advantages without their disadvantages, having the hardness of high carbon steel with the strength of low carbon steel, is wrong. If you start out with two steels of different carbon content the carbon migrates during the forging process so it's uniform throughout the blade before you're done forging it, an average of the two steels you started with minus some carbon burned out in forging. The layers will look different after polishing and etching, but they won't differ in carbon content.

If you don't understand that and use too much low carbon steel in your mixture you end up with a pattern-welded steel that doesn't have enough carbon in it to be heat-treatable -- that's what's wrong with the pattern-welded steel made by Windlass in India and sold by Atlanta Cutlery among others. It's pretty, but it's mild steel, totally unsuitable for making knives out of.

Pattern-welded steel is easily available now, without forging it yourself, and it's being used by stock-removal knifemakers. It's discussed quite a bit in the Shop Talk forum at this website; we have some members who forge it.

Long ago steel was folded and hammerwelded many times to get rid of impurities. These days steel comes out of the crucible without any impurities, so pattern-welding is no longer necessary. It's still beautiful, though.
smile.gif


-Cougar Allen :{)
 
Dan,

I have several occult books and some of them mention damascus, they say that the bset metallurgists have examined the old damascus and to date have never been able to reproduce it. That's all I ever really knew about it, like i said I wasn't sure if the damascus offered today was the real stuff. I never researched it to find out if it was or not, but thanks to everyone who offered help.

- D


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Where the lion's skin will not reach, you must patch it out with the fox's.
 
Cougar, thanks for sharing that very interesting background info. I was one of those who believed the misconception about high/low layering.
 
I have noticed in Indonesia and in the lower Philippine islands, that their blades have been made with pattern welded stuff. I have seen it in the Kris daggers and swords from Mindanao to Sulu. At times they use meteorite as part of the mix for the steel. This makes a very interesting swirl in the metal. Nickel has been also mixed it. When one etches these blades, the patterns really come out. The etchant, either feric chloride, arsenic, or strong citrus juice will errode the different metals at different rates. I have also seen blades with high carbon steel inserts for the edge, and the rest of the blade will be made of a lesser quality steel.
 
Mohd was looking around for keris on my behalf, but in the Malaysia area it is apparently a lost art. I'm very grateful to Mohd for trying, though.

I have seen references on the web to those on other islands who continue to make traditional keris blades at about the same price for a new nihon-to: $__,000.oo to start, and then up from there.

The hatch marked 18th centuries and the Sanu forward curving with designs forged into the steel while hot may not be damascus, but to me they transcend mere surface engraving.





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"All who follow the leading of God's Spirit are God's own sons." Romans 8:14 ( SO THERE!!! )


 
Bill, Et al,
I've got a reply comming, but I've got to do it longhand and have someone else enter it. This typing with one hand is tedious.
Dan
 
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