My first Damascus knife

SBranson

SBranson

Joined
Oct 29, 2006
Messages
2,912
**EDIT** Sheath finished May 13

I just finished my first damascus bladed knife last night at 3am. :eek:
Made for a tough day at work.:p


Many weeks ago around the time I started my Japanese Tanto, I decided to try my hand at forge welding. I read a bunch and asked some questions and decided that I could do it with just my forge and hammer.

I started with 6 layers each of 1080+ and 15n20 making for a stack of about 1.5" x 1" x 3". (Please don't laugh at my welds, I know I suck at it. :p)

Damascus_3.jpg


I was nervous as it went into the fire.

Damascus_4.jpg


After the first weld I forged it down and quickly knocked the end off and etched just to get a little of the immediate gratification.

Damascus_5.jpg


I then cut it in 3 and forge welded that stack. I drew that out and made it a little more rounded and twisted it 360°. After forging that flat I cut it again and stacked it.. so what's the count? I figure it should be 72...

Well with forge welding temps, compounded by the number of heats to do this by hand... and then add in the nervous factor which had me forging this really hot, concerned the whole time that my welds wouldn't take.. (and fluxing the thing like mad)...

Looks more like I have my original 12 layers. :p:p:p ...:rolleyes:

Still, I'm pretty happy with the result. A little tighter pattern would have made for a better contrast but I'm not complaining.

Specs are:

-3 1/2" guard to tip with an OAL of 7 3/4"
-guard is 416ss with Koa spacer (flanked by g10)
-handle is African Blackwood

Sheath to follow... gotta think of a design.

Damascus_1.jpg


Damascus_2.jpg


Damascus_6.jpg


Funny thing though is that I'm sure you'll recognize that this looks quite a bit like a Sendero knock off... I drew the handle about 6 times and I think unconsciously I arrived at this and then it occurred to me that it looked a little familiar.. This has really shown me the genius of Mr. Fisk's design. After trying so many handles with that blade shape, I really couldn't see any other that looked so balanced.

Thanks for looking.

**EDIT** Sheath finished

Damascus_7.jpg


Damascus_8.jpg
 
Last edited:
Stuart...

Always a pleasure looking at your knives......be it Japanese or traditional
 
I didn't realized you hadn't make a damascus knife.
Well, have now and it's a looker. Fit/finish look extremely good.

Does have a Sendero look. It's a very popular design.
Jerry made the first one about 18 years ago.
 
Thanks guys.

Yes Kevin, this is my first one. It's my 33rd knife.

The sendero flat top and that handle shape are distinctive but like I said, after trying so many sketches I happened upon this and well it's just the best looking handle to match that blade shape. Not surprising that someone like Mr. Fisk would've discovered this so many years ago.
 
That is really nice stuart you are on fire boy look out should you get a press or a power hammer
 
SBranson said:
Damascus_1.jpg


Thanks for looking.
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting!

Very nice little knife. The damascus pattern is a bit "coarser" than I usually prefer, but on this knife it works very well. And the handle is just plain beautiful, that Koa spacer is a very nice detail.

Kind regards,

Jos
 
Oh, that's very nice. The horizon beckons, and you are rolling hard and fast at it. Fun to watch you explore, discover and grow!
 
you have a major cheering section out in Sooke, bro!
Well done!
 
Very, very nice-- businesslike, yet artistic. That's about as pretty a knife as I could see myself using in the field. Love it!
 
Jos said:
Thanks for posting!

Very nice little knife. The damascus pattern is a bit "coarser" than I usually prefer, but on this knife it works very well. And the handle is just plain beautiful, that Koa spacer is a very nice detail.

Kind regards,

Jos
Click to expand...

Not to be jerky, but did you understand he forged the steel with hand hammers only??? No hydraulic press, no power hammer, no rolling mill. That's akin to say, oh.... normally you'd paint your house with a paint sprayer, but since you don't have one, you paint it with the tiny brush inside the top of a bottle of fingernail polish. :eek: :eek: :eek: ;) :)

I know you were still complimenting him... it's just that to get up to this layer count by hand is a very admirable accomplishment. :thumbup: :cool: :)

Beautiful knife Stuart, but I wouldn't expect anything else! :)
 
very nice Stuart. I like the bold pattern and it looks like your welds are very clean with no inclusions, that something to be very proud of especially since its your first attempt and you made it without the use of a press or P hammer. Your bank account is going to suffer now that the damascus bug has bite,I see a press or P hammer in your near future.

Bill
 
Thanks very much everyone!! This one is a little special to me. The damascus by hand and even the little Koa spacer. I really struggled with that detail thinking it really could make or break the knife in the "gaudiness" factor. I had original flanked it in copper but it just wasn't looking right. I thought of abandoning it entirely then tried a couple G10 spacers and am very happy with how it turned out.

Nick, you had me and my wife laughing out loud with this one.

NickWheeler said:
Not to be jerky, but did you understand he forged the steel with hand hammers only??? No hydraulic press, no power hammer, no rolling mill. That's akin to say, oh.... normally you'd paint your house with a paint sprayer, but since you don't have one, you paint it with the tiny brush inside the top of a bottle of fingernail polish. :eek: :eek: :eek: ;) :)
Click to expand...

I'm sure you know the feeling of all this work and never knowing until the very end whether the welds worked or not. I did have some minor scares along the lines where the twist was forged flat but they came out with the grinding, thankfully.
I should take a pic of the spine because there you can see the twist.

And Bill, yes, I am already planning for the press... It's going to be some time before I can afford one sadly. So maybe I'll try this by hand again...
 
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