What is your favorite Damascus, why?

[fracmeister]

I really love some fo the Jerry Rados stuff, but I have lately takena shine to Johan Gustaffson...

 

[nifrand]

I concur on the Rados.Especially his cable Damascus.

 

[Paracelsus]

Rados' Turkish damascus is the best I have ever seen. Simply outstanding steel. Very tight lines with good definition even with a high polish on the blades.

I am not fond of Gustaffson's multi-hued damascus, but it is amazing. I have noticed a lot more makers (e.g. Rick Dunkerly) producing these interesting but gaudy hot-blued (greened, yellowed, oranged, etc) pattern welded steels. I dunno, I guess they just push my simple sense of aesthetics too far. I admire the techical accomplishment, but that much color on a knife just strikes me the wrong way...

Para

 

[fracmeister]

Here is a Dale Reif piece with Jerry's stuff on the blade and a very large bolster....

 

[fracmeister]

Just realized that isn't such a great pic.... try this for a little closer.

 

[Keith Montgomery]

My favorite damascus is wootz, I just love the pattern. My second favorite is not considered damascus by quite a few people, but I just love the look of cable. It just has such a randum look to it. I also like twist damascus. I do not like the really wild patterns. Mosaic damascus on the other is something that I usually find exceptionally pleasing.

 

[Chuck Gedraitis Knives]

I only use the best damascus in my knives and those come form Jerry Rados, Bob Eggerling and Daryl Meier. Gary house and Hank Knickermeyer makes some great patterns too but they are way too expensive!

 

[HJK]

Most of the comments seem to focus on appearance rather than performance, even the wootz. Aren't we using our damscus?
I confess, most of mine don't cut much. Too expensive. Too pretty. I'm "collecting"
But I do use some
I love some of the new stuff by Persson, Schwarzer and Bergh too. Astounding patterns. But I'm partial to the traditional stuff, especially Wally Hayes out of Canada. But what I'm really looking forward too is a real Wootz. Even just the mystique of its history and performance add to its attractiveness. But I hope it performs as advertised too.

 

[Coonskinner]

I concur on the Rados Turkish Damascus. But another pattern I really like is Jerry Fisk's Wolf Tooth Damascus.

Like Para, I admire the wild and multi-hued mosaic stuff, but it just really isn't my thing.

 

[Joss]

I like random a lot, and one of my favorite might well be Don Fogg's feather patern, in good steels like 1084 X L6. I don't like the idea of nickel in a blade, and I'm not a big fan of mosaic, although I'm going to try to make some, just for the fun of it.

JD

 

[Danbo]

Kevin Cashen makes some awesome using damascus out of 80 layers of O1 and L6. This stuff is high contrast and cuts like the dickens.

 

[Keith Montgomery]

I think the reason that we make our preference based on look is that we do not choose damascus because of it's performance. I am sure that some damascus outperfoms other typed, but that is not the reason that I buy some of my knives with damascus blades. It is definitely for the looks.

 

[Gus Kalanzis]

Put me down for Rados Turkish twist as my top favorite steel too!

I am also a huge fan of Fogg's, Schwarzer, Howard Clark's and Tim Foster's work also. The bar is constantly being raised in this are by quite a few folks. That entire Montana group is also something else.

 

[fracmeister]

I forgot to ask Les what his favorite mokume gane was. Ah well, a different post.

 

[Stumpy]

That's a pretty tough choice to make but any type of mosiac from Conny Persson would work for me.I get mesmerized by the detail.

 

[RHINOKNIVES]

well i have used devin thomas and love the looks and cuttin, of it. but it really too $$$$$ to use. i have had good results with thunderforge random. looks fine and cuts great and is priced decent to make a user with. my favorite is bruce evans frontier damascus. great pattern and cutting and right in the middle on price. he makes a model called a dragon slayer in damascus that just doesn't quit!

 

[Neil Ostroff]

Gary House makes a really cool ZEBRA damascus- in B&W and also Multi-coloured.

Neil

 

[Jim Richardson]

Originally posted by fracmeister
I forgot to ask Les what his favorite mokume gane was. Ah well, a different post.

You just love stiring the pot, don't you.

I really like many different damascus products. In addition to those mentioned I have to add the great ones from Don Greenaway

and from James Luman (particularly his ATS-34 Damascus)

 

[Epsilon]

I like cable and random. The less pattern oriented, the cooler looking I think.

 

[tallwingedgoat]

This one is my favorite mosiac damascus, look closely and see the American flags with the words "USA" under them.