damascus steel

[dave hiltz]

I have made a few knifes now and have been wanting to try a damascus one but I have been afraid of messing it up, my question is does it work just like 01 or not?  When you hollow gring the blade will the pattern be all the way through the stock?  Thanks for the info, this is a great site and I have learned alot. Dave.

[Jeremy]

Heat treating damascus all depends on what the steel is made of.  Many of the decent ones you can buy commercially now (Thunderforge, etc) are a mix of 01, 1095(or 1080) and 15N20.  The pattern is all the way through the steel, but you need to etch the blade in acid to bring out the pattern.  The acid works on the different steels in different ways to give you the contrast in the pattern.

I'm just finishing up my first damascus blade.  Took me forever to work up the nerve to start in on it (that stuff ain't cheap - but I am!) but it's gonna look sweet     This spring or summer I'll be going up to a (relatively) nearby bladesmith's shop and help him work up a damascus billet or two  :D