POLL: Will Damasteel fade over time?

Will Damasteel "not Damascus" fade over time?

  • Total voters
    29
Murkr

Murkr

Joined
Jan 23, 2023
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Will Damasteel "not Damascus" fade over time?

I'm thinking about purchasing a gold class benchmade with damasteel to use in rotation as an EDC knife to open packages but I'm afraid after some time the pattern will start fading away. I have a Damascus knife that has faded a lot over the years and hate looking at it to be honest. It was a cheap kershaw leek so I can imagine it was low-quality damascus if not even fake since I got it from eBay about 8 years ago before I was into higher-end knives.
 
Damasteel is damascus - it is simply the name for the process by the company that created it.

Any damascus will lose its contrast over time - it has nothing to do with being "low quality". A thin coat of lubricant will help to preserve its pattern longer, however. And not using it.

Damascus gets its contrasting patterns from chemical etching, which is simply a patina. All patinas are subject to fade from use, oxidization, and other contaminants.

A good degreasing and a re-etch with ferric chloride usually restores damascus to its original contrast.
 
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shane45-1911 said:
Damasteel is damascus - it is simply the name for a process that creates it.

Any damascus will lose its contrast over time - it has nothing to do with being "low quality". A thin coat of lubricant will help to preserve its pattern longer, however.

Damascus gets its contrasting patterns from chemical etching, which is simply a patina. All patinas are subject to fade from use, oxidization, and other contaminants.

A good degreasing and a re-etch with ferric chloride usually restores damascus to its original contrast.
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Damasteel is not damascus. Two completely different processes.
 
Synov Synov Is that damasteel? How long have you been using it for?

I'd like to see some damasteel blades that have been carried for a year or two to see how much they have faded.
 
Murkr said:
Synov Synov Is that damasteel? How long have you been using it for?

I'd like to see some damasteel blades that have been carried for a year or two to see how much they have faded.
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It is indeed Damasteel (Bjorkman's Twist). But it is brand new from Tom Mayo and I covered it in mineral oil as soon as I got it.
 
P.S. All you people who voted "no" are wrong. ;)

(Unless you keep your knife slathered with oil, and stored in a hermetically sealed case)
 
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Larrin said:
With stainless Damascus the changes to the pattern over time are from scuffing the steel through use. Mineral oil isn’t going to prevent it.
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Mineral oil will prevent or slow down the oxidization of the higher carbon steel, assuming the damascus is stainless and carbon. Of course, most oxidization will darken the steel, so it may actually enhance the pattern in some cases.

But if it's a user, of course nothing will prevent wear and scuffing.
 
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Murkr said:
Will Damasteel "not Damascus" fade over time?

I'm thinking about purchasing a gold class benchmade with damasteel to use in rotation as an EDC knife to open packages but I'm afraid after some time the pattern will start fading away. I have a Damascus knife that has faded a lot over the years and hate looking at it to be honest. It was a cheap kershaw leek so I can imagine it was low-quality damascus if not even fake since I got it from eBay about 8 years ago before I was into higher-end knives.
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I've heard that before about Kershaw Damascus. It is questionable
 
I have a BM Gold Class with Damasteel (the Proper). I put at least 2 coats of Renn wax on my Damascus blades. It makes them look pretty, but not sure if it prevents fading due to use since I'm a light user.

I have found Mokume Gane bolsters on some of my older knives have faded in spots due to rubbing, and Timascus will also show rubbing over time. I think this is due to pulling folders in and out of my pockets. I suspect that denim and corduroy pocket material wears on timascus and mokume scales and bolsters over time, maybe more than occasional cutting with Damascus blades.
 
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Here's my Rose pattern, DamaSteel custom by Phillip Patton..... I carry this 3-5 days a week and it's 3 + years old.....Still looks the same as day one!!!!! I drive a tractor trailer and run heavy equipment!!!! I cut dirty nasty shit daily......as well as regular chores..... Top shelf material DamaSteel is......IMG_20230204_034440.jpg
 
Using the blade causes rubbing and friction that will eventually wear off the patina that creates the contrast, but you can always re-etch it . . . at least for high carbon Damascus, not entirely sure about the composition of BM's damasteel
 
shane45-1911 said:
Mineral oil will prevent or slow down the oxidization of the higher carbon steel, assuming the damascus is stainless and carbon. Of course, most oxidization will darken the steel, so it may actually enhance the pattern in some cases.

But if it's a user, of course nothing will prevent wear and scuffing.
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That's why my Damascus knives are for special occasions. Sure, they are the affordable 9Cr/10Cr stuff but I like the way they look and they've got far better edge retention than I need for the amount they get used.

Higher quality Damasteel with cool patterns can look amazing. I'm often impressed by some of the pictures I see in the EDC thread. At least for me though, it's very expensive for something I'd mostly be buying for the looks. 🤷‍♂️

kzK736P.jpg
 
If you use the knife, you polish the etched, micro-rough surface and the damasteel loses its contrast. That is normal ...
 
If you're going to use a knife, it's going to get scuffed up over time. The damascus pattern is going to rub and become less visible. The only way to slow that down is to not use the knife. But then what's the point of owning a knife?
 
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