Damascus Steel--School Me

[snatchel]

Have a cousin who makes handmade knives using Damascus steel. He also handmakes the handles, fittings, etc. His work is beautiful and every knife is custom made to your hand--he took measurements of my hand and a clay impression of my grip. He gave a me a price & we agreed, but I really don't know what I am getting into.

So... explain to me what damascus steel is all about. Aside from being gorgeous, does it stand up to stainless or other metals?

[BigGuy]

Your best bet is to google Damascus Steel. I set in on a lecture at a renaissance fair on Damascus steel, and later watched a History channel program about it. If your friend is producing true damascus steel, then your going to have a heck of a knife. But I have my doubts. Producing Damascus steel is a labor intensive process that is usually done in a greater quantity than single black smith can produce. It was first produced in Syria, hence the name. A true Damascus steel blade can be bent almost back the hilt without damaging the blade. It will spring back in place as sharp and deadly as ever. As a result, a blade of Damascus steel will almost never be broken in a fight.
Damascus steel has a wavy pattern. It looks to me as though it's been heated. There are some folks a renaissance fairs producing a steel that looks like Damascus, but does not have the resilient quality of true Damascus steel.

[tacticool]

Damascus steel has a wavy pattern. It looks to me as though it's been heated. There are some folks a renaissance fairs producing a steel that looks like Damascus, but does not have the resilient quality of true Damascus steel.

Aye. There's the rub.

The sword smiths who made Damascus steel back in the day didn't publish their secret recipe. Many people believe the technique was like pattern welding, but the impurities they added to the iron to make steel, and how they tempered the steel, are lost to the ages. People have tried to replicate Damascus steel, but in most cases they're more successful at replicating the appearance than the function. If you're getting a neo-Damascus blade for aesthetic or sentimental reasons, that's great. However, for a working knife, a good modern tool steel will generally outperform neo-Damascus steel at a fraction of the price.

[SewTexas]

It's a high carbon steel, layered with a high nickel steel, welded together, pressed and stretched out thin, folded together, pressed and stretched again and repeated. when the blade is cut the layers are exposed and treated with an etching solution and polished. The carbon steel layers are the ones that turn dark. (from my husband the knife nerd ) that's the basics