question about steel

I

idriss

Joined
Jan 12, 2015
Messages
5
hi i have question about the damascus steel*
1-is there are any thing better than it for combat knives?
2-what is the best steel for combat knives?
 
hey chief, this is not a simple question as you might imagine... I recommend using the search function on here. This topic has been covered hundreds of times (likely 10 by me alone when i first started off) and you can find sooo much on here if you do a little looking around. To answer your questions:
1, Yes
2, Depends on how you plan on using that combat knife, what size blade, the intended climate and a host of other things.
 
Climate will play a big part on what type of steel will be best for you, but there are other factors (as rusty pointed out) most important being how you plan on using it. A lot of the differences between steel types comes down to tradeoffs between edge retention, toughness, and corrosion resistance.

Damascus is great looking, but requires more care to prevent rusting, and not all Damascus is created equal. I happen to love Damascus, but it's more for aesthetics than anything else... for a hard use knife, I'd have to see the steel options on a specific model before I committed to Damascus.

Examples: Izulas are available in lower end steels, so if you don't mind spending the extra money, I think the Damascus is the best steel choice on those offerings... Benchmade 710 has a sprint version in M390 which would be much more versatile (and cheaper) than the gold class 710 in Damascus.

No matter what steel you get, the knife will need to hit the strop after a long day, so you can get whatever you like best and is in your price range (provided that you research how to care for it properly). GL!
 
This is starting to sound a trolling thread.
 
idriss said:
thank you for helping
can we compare the damascus to the cpm 154?
i'm looking for a knife fir self-defence when needed and for survivle lke in mountain and for extreme use
my price range is 2000 dollar max
i'm interisting in a karambit http://www.karambit.com/shop/custom-karambits/custom-fixed-karambits/james-cooglers-kratos-karambit/
also in bayonet
Click to expand...

Clearly the knife in that link appeals to you deeply. Buy it and enjoy it.

What we say to you doesn't matter.

For other people interested in learning,however:

1. Steel really doesn't matter much in a SD knife unless you are stabbing a couple dozen people everyday
2. A karambit is worthless for outdoor recreation
3. There is no such unique thing as "damascus." So you can't compare it to any particular steel. Its like comparing "stainless" to something.
4. "Extreme use," and "combat knives" are nonsense phrases made up by marketing departments
5 No steel is "better" than any other steel.
 
idriss said:
thank you for helping
can we compare the damascus to the cpm 154?
i'm looking for a knife fir self-defence when needed and for survivle lke in mountain and for extreme use
my price range is 2000 dollar max
Click to expand...

If you have two grand to blow on your first knife, just hire a consultant. You don't need us. You have already read some good posts and have been advised to use the Search feature.
I believe that Jason B. is correct when he says..."This is starting to sound like a trolling thread."

Do you realize that if you just Google.."damascus steel vs stainless", that you get 49,000 results? It also compares damascus to carbon steels. You win both ways.
Best of luck to you.
 
Last edited:
Buy a $10 Mora and use it for a month. Figure out what you need to do that it can't do. Then buy the tool that does that.
 
thank you
i was asking because i don't know anything about knives so can you give some advice for mu searching and thanks
 
just to add some variables, there's not just one "damascus" steel. there are several types each made from various component steels. Brand name damasteel makes a stainless "damascus" if corosion is a concern for you:

http://www.damasteel.se/
 
grownstar said:
Karambits won't help much in the woods, IMO.
Click to expand...

couldn't agree more... I'd take almost any straight blade over a karambit for the woods. and Marcinek is right, names like combat and tactical are usually nothing more than an angle to sell super cool knives.
 
idriss said:
thank you
i was asking because i don't know anything about knives so can you give some advice for mu searching and thanks
Click to expand...

Best advice I can give is to just read things here. Read the General Forum and read The Great Outdoors Forum here. Read, read, read.

And think about what you are REALLY going to do with your knife.
 
There's nothing special about Damascus steel other than it's pretty.

There are much better steels for any task you can imagine.
 
by "combat" you mean a blade at least 6 inches long, straight, and will likely encounter hard use. damascus is fine in that it's tough and easy to sharpen. but it's too soft and the edge and point aren't consistent.

my pick is a nicely treated tool steel, maybe o-1, with a good rust-proof coat.
 
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