Why is Low-Fold Damascus Good?

Locutus D'Borg

Locutus D'Borg

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SO, I've been salivating over some Damascus knives (naturally), and recently have been seeing "low-fold Damascus" blades on custom folders. I thought the more folds the better, and some Damascus makers boast of 300 folds, etc. Can someone enlighten me as to the cutting (or decorative) =value of low over high fold before I pull the trigger (or not) on a low-fold Dammie.

Thanks.
 
Glenn Goodlett said:
I see that Nichols had some MagnaCut core Damascus. I think that would be the best of both worlds.
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Yeah, I'd like to see some Damascus made with MagnaCut and some high carbon steel, maybe 3V, so the acid will etch away the carbon and leave a sharp pattern with great cutting features. Larrin will probably have a heart attack at the very idea, but you never know. Damasteel probably came from this kind of spitballing of ideas.
 
With quality known steels it’s basically all for the appearance. Low layer will show more boldly and work well as random or twist. Some patterns need a higher layer count to allow detail to show such as in ladder and raindrop.
Count is typically measured in layers and not folds because if you fold 16 layers you get something very different than a fold containing 120 layers.
 
3fifty7 said:
With quality known steels it’s basically all for the appearance. Low layer will show more boldly and work well as random or twist. Some patterns need a higher layer count to allow detail to show such as in ladder and raindrop.
Count is typically measured in layers and not folds because if you fold 16 layers you get something very different than a fold containing 120 layers.
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I did not know this. Thanks.
 
Locutus D'Borg said:
SO, I've been salivating over some Damascus knives (naturally), and recently have been seeing "low-fold Damascus" blades on custom folders. I thought the more folds the better, and some Damascus makers boast of 300 folds, etc. Can someone enlighten me as to the cutting (or decorative) =value of low over high fold before I pull the trigger (or not) on a low-fold Dammie.

Thanks.
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300 folds is a bit hard to believe.....If you do the math, assuming you start with just 2 layers, one carbon and one stainless, once you get to only 20 folds ( 2^20) you are around 1 million layers.....that would be just a block of nearly homogenous mush......and there would be no discernable patterns due to the layers being so thin. Start with more layers in the block and the number will be proportionately higher....
 
Arathol said:
300 folds is a bit hard to believe.....If you do the math, assuming you start with just 2 layers, one carbon and one stainless, once you get to only 20 folds ( 2^20) you are around 1 million layers.....that would be just a block of nearly homogenous mush......and there would be no discernable patterns due to the layers being so thin. Start with more layers in the block and the number will be proportionately higher....
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Just for fun, Google "how many times can you fold a piece of paper". The answer is amazing.
 
Damascus blades are not known for the uniformity, wear resistance, and/or corrosion resistance of their micro edges. Neither are meteorite blades. Went to a hammerin where the master smiths eschewed the use of their beautiful Damascus fixed blades on Bar B Qued chicken and corn on the cob. The same knives were not entered in the cutting competition either. Nicest people you could ever meet and quite adept in the use of plastic “silverware”.
 
Arathol said:
300 folds is a bit hard to believe.....If you do the math, assuming you start with just 2 layers, one carbon and one stainless, once you get to only 20 folds ( 2^20) you are around 1 million layers.....that would be just a block of nearly homogenous mush......and there would be no discernable patterns due to the layers being so thin. Start with more layers in the block and the number will be proportionately higher....
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Check out the patterns that Jerry Fisk creates. His blades are almost always super high layer counts (million +)
 
Try the game where you double the number of peas you place on each subsequent square of a chess board. It get's unmanageable quickly!
 
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