I've owned a few custom knives in my life and I believe in one simple rule: use them; they're good tough knives. I can always sharpen and polish them, and they always look and perform great. But Damascus has me puzzled.
I'm finally considering a Damascus knife, but have no idea what they look like once they're used. As I understand it, the pattern emerges when it's etched chemically, and is limited to the surface, so is it safe to assume that it polishes off when stropped or polished, much in the same way a Sharpie marker is? A scandi Damascus would then have a shiny bevel to contrast the blade's flat body. But after a trip, if I used Autosol to clean the entire blade, would the paste polish out the body too?
I'd love to see pictures of used Damascus knives and read tips on how to maintain it. If I'm going to get one, I'd like to know what I'm in for down the road.
Thanks in advance.
Mark
I'm finally considering a Damascus knife, but have no idea what they look like once they're used. As I understand it, the pattern emerges when it's etched chemically, and is limited to the surface, so is it safe to assume that it polishes off when stropped or polished, much in the same way a Sharpie marker is? A scandi Damascus would then have a shiny bevel to contrast the blade's flat body. But after a trip, if I used Autosol to clean the entire blade, would the paste polish out the body too?
I'd love to see pictures of used Damascus knives and read tips on how to maintain it. If I'm going to get one, I'd like to know what I'm in for down the road.
Thanks in advance.
Mark