New guy here-and plenty of questions.

[txlongshotb4]

Hello all-I am the new guy. My name is Jody, and I am in Texas. When it comes to knife making, I am about as green as it gets. To make a long story short, my uncle used to make knives when I was a very little kid. It "lit the fire" in me so to speak. I guess that fire has been smoldering for about 35 years now because I just dove headlong into a project and I have common sense and YouTube to help me. Probably not enough.

I was in Tennessee about two weeks ago, when it came to my attention that I was just a few miles from Smoky Mountain Knife Works so I made the drive. I wound up walking out the door with a Damascus blank and a mission...so now I am on that mission, and I have encountered a bit of a booger. My problem is that I have no idea what kind of steel has been used to produce this Damascus steel. I have since called Smoky Mountain Knife Works and they certainly could not put anyone on the phone that could tell me. As this steel is not heat treated nor tempered, I need to do so-but I do not know what steel I am working with-so, does anyone have any suggestions as to what temperature I need to heat this steel to, and for how long/what color before I quench it? How long should I temper it and at what temperature?

I suppose lesson one is learned-don't buy steel from someone who can't tell me what's in it!

 

[Salem Straub]

What you've got there is a piece of Pakistani no-name pattern weld. It may not make a good knife, even after some experimentaton.
Best I could say is, try heating it to non magnetic and then about 75 degrees hotter, (or a shade hotter by eye in a dark shop) and quench it in preheated canola oil. (I'm guessing the total carbon content to be under 75% on average.) Wait for a couple minutes, then test all over with a file. The file should barely cut it, if at all. If it hardened, then start with a 400 degree temper for one hour, test the edge by flexing it over a round rod. If it chips, try tempering again at 425 and trying the edge flex again. If it stays bent rather than chipping, either the temper was too hot or it never fully hardened in the first place. What you want is for the edge to flex, then return to true fully without chipping. Do this up and down the blade. If it seems OK, then do some test cutting with it.

Next time buy steel of a known alloy or damascus of known composition. Then chalk this one up to a learning experience.

 

[aarongb]

Just one thing, if its a blank, profiled and ground, it may already be heat treated. If its a bar, most likely not.

 

[AVigil]

You got "Raindrop Design Damascus Steel Bar"

"Raindrop design Damascus steel construction
·Measures approximately 12" x 2" x 3/16"
·Made in Pakistan

It could be made from anything from hub caps to man hole covers.

Since it probably will not get as hard as it should for a good usable knife, you might consider making a fine throwing knife out of it. That way you can try your hand at knife making and still have something you use.