Thread: Damascus Steel, is it really worth it?

Anyone with some experience with personal use with a Damascus steel straight or familiar with the steel itself please chime in.

I was just curious about this steel and is it really worth the extra money over your regular steels. Now I know there are many different types of steel that are used in razors if I am not mistaken like Stainless Steel, Carbon Steel, and I think something else. Other than the plain cool lookingness of it I am more curious about performance side of it.

Does it cut hair better?
Does it stay sharp or hold its edge longer?
Does it tarnish like regular steels?
How easy or hard is it to hone and strop?
Any other question I can't think of?

I read some history on the steel when it was made hundreds of years ago and said it was great in sword fights because it held its edge and sharpness better than other steels. This would kick ass for a straight if its true because I don't think anyones wiskers are as hard as slamming metal against metal LOL.

If you know some good points you would like to point out lets hear it because I can't be the only person that has wondered about this.

Thanks

It has a higher rockwell hardness which I believe allows it to obtain a finer (read: sharper) edge, but also means its more brittle as well.

I dont know if anyone gets one because it shaves better, after all if a $100.00 razor shaves really well... a 1200 razor proportionately cannot shave THAT much better I wouldnt think.

I want one eventually because its artwork, its a very beautiful and yet functional work of art.

I think there is a difference in the damascus that japanese swords were made out of and the damascus in razors, I dont think the damascus we see around now is folded many times, someone correct me if I am wrong.

I've got a modern damascus knife. It's just pattern-welded steel with two different grades of steel, so that when chemically etched it reveals a pretty pattern. It doesn't seem to be any better than my knives made from quality carbon steel. It's not a coincidence that modern "damascus" is optimized for appearance rather than function.

Pattern-welding isn't a modern innovation, among other things it was common among the migration-era germanic tribes; this is mentioned in the old songs and verified by swords recovered from graves and other archeological sites, which show snake-scale patterns and so forth. They seem to have done it for appearance more than function as well. For fans of Japanese swordmaking techniques, the migration-era swords were also made with a thin high-carbon piece welded between two lower-carbon (and attractively pattern-welded) pieces to make a sword that would take a keen edge without being brittle. This technique was abandoned as better steel was developed, and the decoration changed to engravings. (_The Archeology of Weapons: Arms and Armour from Prehistory to the Age of Chivalry_, R. Ewart Oakeshott)

(The originals are generally too corroded to see this pattern, but it can be seen in x-rays. Somebody made a replica of the Sutton Hoo sword that can be seen here that shows both the pattern welding and the separate high-carbon edge pieces).

Persian damascus steel was something else entirely. It was made from folded steel, but the steel itself is a different creature than we have today. AFAIK nobody really knows how exactly how it was made, and given the technology of the day it was probably made hundreds of different ways resulting in everything from mild steel to the famous stuff.

The modern stuff is definitely pretty though, and may be worth it on that basis alone.

I have a Maestro Livi damascus coming from Lynn, hopefully this week it should arrive.
I'll write a report on it. Why pay $500, well it's a treat and it's a special blade, I don't expect it to shave better than the best ones I have though.

Gary

I have a TI Damascus and personally have mixed feelings about it. The strong points are that it holds an edge like no other razor and is very pretty. The bad points are its a real bear to hone. I have several TIs and all came in very close to shave ready condition out of the box. The Damascus wouldn't shave at all period. I'd hate to tell you how much time I've devoted to honing that razor but its in the hours. Though it gives a good shave its probably the poorest shaver amongst my 40 or so razors. Did I get a bad sample? maybe.

Would I recommend it? Based on my experience, no.

Thanks for your replies. Basically I getting its a luxury thing mostly. Yea I was curious if this steel was osme kind of super steel that cut like lazers or something heh.

Those Livi/Takeda razors that uses a high-carbon core welded inside two slabs of damascus look like an interesting idea, and the result is an interesting viking-flavored razor. Get one of those puppies in a wedge or 1/4 ground and you'd be one bad mofo.

[edit] great, now I can't get the spam song out of my head...

I think a razor of this caliber is a luxury, and there is nothing wrong with that. We could all shave with $25 razors and be happy, but if the upper end razor is in your budget, I doff my hat to you. My '95 Accord gets me to 7-11 as well as a 2007 will. It just ain't as pretty! But it is paid for!

RT

Originally Posted by mparker762

Those Livi/Takeda razors that uses a high-carbon core welded inside two slabs of damascus look like an interesting idea, and the result is an interesting viking-flavored razor. Get one of those puppies in a wedge or 1/4 ground and you'd be one bad mofo.

[edit] great, now I can't get the spam song out of my head...

Yea I saw this and wondered how good it was.

I love the looks of this steel but I didn't know if it was just looking or done any much better compared to other steels used.

Originally Posted by rtaylor61

I think a razor of this caliber is a luxury, and there is nothing wrong with that. We could all shave with $25 razors and be happy, but if the upper end razor is in your budget, I doff my hat to you. My '95 Accord gets me to 7-11 as well as a 2007 will. It just ain't as pretty! But it is paid for!

RT

True my 93 Mercury Villager is basic transportation that is paid for. I am not trying to impress anyone.