Making a Damasus Tanto from start to finish!

Daniel Fairly Knives

Daniel Fairly Knives

Full Time Knifemaker
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I finished this one up last night!

416 Layer Damascus made from 52100/5160/15n20/203E steel. Very tough stuff!
About 3/16" thick
8.25" long with a 4" blade and 4.25" handle
West System epoxy soaked cord over premium black rayskin with hand cut dinosaur bone

The dinosaur bone is gem grade petrified bone from my local area, it is hard to tell from my video but it is a nice dark red and took a great polish! The dinosaur bone is harder than steel, it must be cut with a wet diamond setup. I used about 8 stages of diamond to rough shape and polish the stone ranging from 80 to 50,000 grit.

The video covers the making of the knife from the cutting of the Damascus billet all the way up to the finished knife.

Thanks for watching and please press like if you enjoyed thew video. :thumbup:

[video=youtube_share;ijU1t5091Ro]http://youtu.be/ijU1t5091Ro[/video]
 
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broe said:
Patterned welded?
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It sure is! It is 416 layer Raindrop Damascus!

This was my first damascus knife and I did a lot of research and decided a mirror polish would look the best etched, it is hard to see in the pics but it is a cool contrast of satiny black and shiny "silver."

I have to say, I really wasn't much of a fan of Damascus before this piece but after seeing it in person I am super impressed and addicted to the Damasus! Damascus can often be too busy for my taste but in person it just looks insane, it is hard to photograph the cool effect it has.

I consider keeping this one, it is my first Damascus steel knife.
 
If your next damascus knife is about 10" OAL with a wider blade and follows along the lines of your "old timer", I am calling dibs.
 
gooeytek said:
If your next damascus knife is about 10" OAL with a wider blade and follows along the lines of your "old timer", I am calling dibs.
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Hey it could be! Id have to use a whole billet but dang that would be cool!

edit... not a whole billet but you know, maybe a really big one chopped up or a whole small one.
 
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theflyingplatypus said:
Love it to death. Especially the dinosaur bone!

Kaleb
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Thanks!

theflyingplatypus said:
I am wondering why you choose to do such a wide plunge on many of your knives? Seems to me it would rob blade space.

Kaleb
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The sweeping plunge line adds a lot of strength, especially with the chisel grind. (because there is no steel missing behind the sweeping plunge) The smooth transition isn't prone to stress risers like a blocky one is.

I also think they look better.
 
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Daniel Fairly Knives said:
Hey it could be! Id have to use a whole billet but dang that would be cool!

edit... not a whole billet but you know, maybe a really big one chopped up or a whole small one.
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Use a whole billet if you have to. It's not so much the steel, rather what you do with it, that makes it worth anything. In the end, the cost of the steel weighted against everything else almost becomes a non-factor.

Full flat grind on the Havok V? Who else is gonna do that for me? The steel is important, sure. But secondary ;) Stay the course, mah brutha!
 
gooeytek said:
Use a whole billet if you have to. It's not so much the steel, rather what you do with it, that makes it worth anything. In the end, the cost of the steel weighted against everything else almost becomes a non-factor.

Full flat grind on the Havok V? Who else is gonna do that for me? The steel is important, sure. But secondary ;) Stay the course, mah brutha!
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Very true! I guess I try to keep my knives in a certain price range but you have a very good point. I don't really have a price range but you know. The tanto was just calling to me!

M4 steel - beaucoop dolares
Belts - lots
Owning a 15" M4 chopper, priceless! (or $600 from me! :D )
 
OK next Damascus knife... maybe another tanto or a santoku style clipped point, not 100% on the profile but I'll know when it comes to me! :D

Heat colored damascus under the cord wrap... it is going to rock! Purple to blue to gold then silvery steel!
 
Daniel Fairly Knives said:
Very true! I guess I try to keep my knives in a certain price range but you have a very good point. I don't really have a price range but you know. The tanto was just calling to me!

M4 steel - beaucoop dolares
Belts - lots
Owning a 15" M4 chopper, priceless! (or $600 from me! :D )
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CPM-M4 Havok X, FFG, and we have a deal. :) Although, it's not going to be as tough as the S7 Havok, but it'll stay sharper longer. Whether the tradeoff is worthwhile remains to be seen. Nothing comes close to S7 in toughness, which is what you want primarily in a chopper.

Did you see those CPM-REX121 choppers that Farid made? 68-70HRC at the edge, 65-66HRC in the thicker parts (12mm at the spine). Imagine how many belts you would have to go through, lol. He did a run of 7 choppers in D3 too, 61 HRC and specced for bladesports. Those weren't too bad @ $400. I can't wait until he's done with the K2 folder in REX121.
 
gooeytek said:
CPM-M4 Havok X, FFG, and we have a deal. :) Although, it's not going to be as tough as the S7 Havok, but it'll stay sharper longer. Whether the tradeoff is worthwhile remains to be seen. Nothing comes close to S7 in toughness, which is what you want primarily in a chopper.

Did you see those CPM-REX121 choppers that Farid made? 68-70HRC at the edge, 65-66HRC in the thicker parts (12mm at the spine). Imagine how many belts you would have to go through, lol. He did a run of 7 choppers in D3 too, 61 HRC and specced for bladesports. Those weren't too bad @ $400. I can't wait until he's done with the K2 folder in REX121.
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That would be cool! You never know! :D

I think I remember those choppers, crazy high RC. Interesting stuff!
 
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