Thread: Damascus Custom Set - need help please.

Originally Posted by Jasper Kade

. ...I think he's on the right track then, he does genuinely seem to know what he's talking about, it's not just marketing talk I think. As for the components of his damascus, if you say the carbon content sounds low on those components then that does kinda worry me too - I'll ask him to explain the overall carbon content on the final blades. Ultimately I reckon it should turn out well though. He's got 10 years making his own damascus so I'm sure he'll know how to best treat his steels for the purpose of shaving... interestingly he also colours his damascus.. has anyone heard of damascus being coloured before?

The carbon content merely helps judge potential hardness. The old way of making damascus (pattern welded steels, not wootz) was to mix mild steel or wrought iron and a high carbon steel. Then you end up with a medium steel that may not perform successfully as you'd like. Ten years of experience says a lot and his patterns do look good.

The coloring of steels can be done with either tempering or with chemicals. The chemical baths are in the 290 degree F range and will not create any problems with the blade hardness. Some folks will temper hardened blades severely to get the nice colors, but that has the risk of also reducing the desired end-hardness. It really depends on how well controlled the process is, and the type of steels, some have higher tempering ranges than others.

The coloration is merely an oxide on the surface of the steel. With use, this very thin layer will wear away to some degree. It is rust protective in a small fashion. Any area of the blade that is abraded, as in honing, will be subject to rusting again.

Oh! just remembered another Q - I read something somewhere about the different steels in the damascus creating a micro serrated edge, how severe is this to shaving? And is this just a reality with damascus blades? Also how can this be overcome if at all?

For all practical intents and purposes, this is a myth. Honing will remove any of the etching, hence visible, differences in the materials used in a patterned blade. At that point, the honed edge will be no different than a simple monosteel honed in the same fashion. If both materials harden, then the whole edge is subject to the microfractures and wear typical of a monosteel blade.

The micro serrated edge implies that one of the two materials in layers is softer than the other and will wear away to some degree leaving the harder material standing proud. I know only a few makers, with sufficient knowledge of heat treatment, to make a blade steel and heat treat it in such manner. It would require exquisite temperature controls and knowledge of the parent materials that is uncommon. You'd likely have a hard layer against a less hard layer rather than hard against soft.

The only other combination of materials with this potential would be a high carbon steel laminated against pure nickel. Then manipulated to create a high layer count and twisted so the former edge of billet wrapped around the outside of the bar. The nickel will not harden, but then won't necessarily wear away quicker either, it sort of smears. The pattern to do this would have to be very fine, almost to the point where it wouldn't be very attractive.

You could use a coarse abrasive at the edge, then you'd have microscopic grooves at the edge which would create a serration like effect. The subsequent damage to your skin would probably put you off shaving that way for quite a while.

A couple more two penny thoughts anyway.