multi steel damascus

jdm61

jdm61

itinerant metal pounder
Joined
Aug 12, 2005
Messages
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Odd question for you guys. If you were using two "dark" steels in damascus, say one primarily for its very dark color like O2 or 1084 and one for some desirable alloying elements like 115W8, O1, Blue #2 or Cru Forge V, would you alternate gray, silver, black, silver or would you combine the gray and black into one thick "layer" and go gray/black, silver, gray/black?
 
Joe, all the dark steel will just run together for the most part. Might notice a difference in a very low layer billet, or mosaic. I do W2 / 1084 & 15N20 all the time, W2 would typically be the lightest color (much lighter than 1084), but it's hard to see any difference in a finished blade.
 
So do you just alternate W2, 15N20, 1084, 15N20? I think that the lowest layer count that I have ever done was 180.
Don Hanson III said:
Joe, all the dark steel will just run together for the most part. Might notice a difference in a very low layer billet, or mosaic. I do W2 / 1084 & 15N20 all the time, W2 would typically be the lightest color (much lighter than 1084), but it's hard to see any difference in a finished blade.
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Don Hanson III said:
Joe, all the dark steel will just run together for the most part. Might notice a difference in a very low layer billet, or mosaic. I do W2 / 1084 & 15N20 all the time, W2 would typically be the lightest color (much lighter than 1084), but it's hard to see any difference in a finished blade.
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What do you gain by using both W2 and 1084 over one or the other?
 
Jrmysell said:
So is using the 1084 just to save some money by not using as much W2?
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Higher manganese steels like 1084 and O2 etch "black" whereas lower manganese steels and/or ones with a bit more chromium tend to etch more "gray." pattern welded steel is all about looking good and pretty much nothing else, old fairy tales about the "damascus cutting effect" notwithstanding. The trick is to find a good-looking combination that performs well.
 
jdm61 said:
Higher manganese steels like 1084 and O2 etch "black" whereas lower manganese steels and/or ones with a bit more chromium tend to etch more "gray." pattern welded steel is all about looking good and pretty much nothing else, old fairy tales about the "damascus cutting effect" notwithstanding. The trick is to find a good-looking combination that performs well.
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Send me a pm. I've got plenty of o2, But I also work with a fine pure nickle mesh at work that I think could be very cool in a damascus
 
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