Some damascus info

[Guy Thomas]

I recently had the pleasure of attending a small lecture by a metallurgist at a local blacksmiths meeting. The question was raised that if you made a damscus billet of say 1018 and 1095, would carbon migration give you something like 1045 in the finished billet. The metallurgist told us that if the billet was held at high temp long enough that would be the case, but that in damascus only the zones where the metals meet at the welds would be 1045, so you end up with 1018-1045-1095-1045-1018 and so on. Just thought I'd pass this interesting information along.

Guy Thomas/Thomas Knives

 

[Bruce Bump]

I dont see why the carbon doesnt migrate and average out. I think you will have 1045 in which case is very low to harden properly. I do know that if there is chrome in either of the two steels it will collect at the weld lines. When etched it shows up as a nice shiney line. Maybe that is what the instructor was actually seeing instead of carbon. I use pure nickel between hi and lo carbon steels. The carbon cannot penetrate the nickel. This gives a good contrast. Remember to not put very much lo carbon steel and nickel because they do not harden as well. Bruce