Polishing a DAM Skyline

[qqfob]

I'm debating to polish it or not, just wondering what it'll look like if i do...

is it going to look like a Shun Kaji?
is it going to look like a solid piece of metal?
or is it going to look like something we haven't seen yet?

 

[2sparky]

you would need to polish it then re etch it again to show the damascus.
-Barry-

 

[firebert]

If you polish the blade with a soft-backed surface, AND the steels in the blade are different hardness, you will get a subtle pattern.

When preparing a damascus blade for etching, I polished it to a high gloss. The pattern was visible but not strong. It is likely that the fact that nickel was present in the steel helped the pattern show. This steel was O1 and nickel damascus by Delbert Ealy, by the way.

You might also be able to etch the blade very deeply and then polish it. This would eat one of the steels deeper, and you could then polish the patina off. This could really screw with the tolerances of the blade, though.

 

[Jason B.]

Not to get off topic but what type of steel was used for the damascus skyline.

 

[svrider3]

Alabama Damascus.

 

[Jason B.]

thanks but I was looking for the types of steel used.

 

[riffraff]

thanks but I was looking for the types of steel used.

If you had gone to Alabama Damacus' web site, you likely would have stumbled upon this little bit of prose:

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"The Steel used to make up our billets vary from time to time but should almost always heat treat the same or close to the same way. We use 5160 (spring steel) 203E (low carbon high impact High nickel mild steel alloy) 15N20 (band saw blade material), 52100 (ball bearing steel), and 1018 (structural steel), nickel 200 is added at times also."[/FONT]



The actual composition decided by Kersaw has never been published, AFAIK.

 

[Jason B.]

thanks, I did go to the site but I am on vacation and only have internet access from my phone. some sites don't show everything so thanks for quoting that info its much appreciated.

 

[svrider3]

thanks but I was looking for the types of steel used.

This is an email Mike (2brothers) received from Alabama Damascus Steel:

Mike

The steel is made from the following:

We use (3) layers of 52100, (4) layers of 5160, (3) layers of 203E, and (3)
layers of 15N20.

The steel is forged out and folded 5 times to give you 416 layers.

The leeks are made from a random pattern. Brad told me that Kershaw is
about to release a knife made from our ladder pattern steel.


Thanks
Lacy
Alabama Damascus Steel