A rare foray into damascus

[mick91]

It's been a while since I worked in Damascus, I love the look of it but as any knifemaker knows it's a very challenging material to work.

I had this design on paper for some time itching to make the pattern in Damascus and a nicely figured hardwood. The blade profile and handle geometry is inspired by the woodlore, with a slightly more severe drop to the point making it almost more spearpoint. And flat ground. The handle also has a slightly more contoured shape for grip and a more downward curving back.

When a customer emailed me and asked for something similar to a woody, I had to make it!

Damascus supplied by damasteel (as with the majority of my steel) is 4.2mm stock, full flat ground with a 90 degree spine and hardened to ~57HRC in a coal forge and pizza oven tempered! Then acid etched in 30 baum ferric chloride to bring out the pattern of the Damascus.

flamed beech scales with a slight distal taper for comfort and control. Oiled finish and sanded back to 800g. 4.8mm mosaic pins turned 45 degrees against each other (because why not it's different!) and brass lined lanyard hole. 0.2mm black vulcanised fiber liners more for function than aesthetics.

This knife is a beast. Totally solid and fills the hand well, as it will be used as a kindling splitter and for battoning. But I daresay he can knock a nail in with it if he fancies!

 

[Ferret75]

Stunning Mick, really amazing work. The contours and figuring in the scales complements the Damascus brilliantly

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[mick91]

Stunning Mick, really amazing work. The contours and figuring in the scales complements the Damascus brilliantly

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

Thanks man took a while to find the right wood but I think it works

Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk

 

[Dave Budd]

that's a funky looking bit of beech! It's often difficult to get the balance of busyness right when it comes to damascus and figured woods. I tend towards busy at one end and simple at the other, but sometimes you just have to let the LSD tartan out of the bag I reckon!

 

[mick91]

that's a funky looking bit of beech! It's often difficult to get the balance of busyness right when it comes to damascus and figured woods. I tend towards busy at one end and simple at the other, but sometimes you just have to let the LSD tartan out of the bag I reckon!

I know exactly what you mean Dave. I tend to think the main thing is the wood is mainly dark, would look odd with light scales imo. And as you say letting the LSD tartan out is a good thing sometimes!

 

[Leshy]

That's another beautiful knife there Mick , well done mate!

 

[mick91]

That's another beautiful knife there Mick , well done mate!

Cheers leshy how you getting on with the buzzard?

 

[Leshy]

Brilliant mate! Thank you!
I did a little whittling today, nothing special , but the Buzzard excelled. Its scary sharp!!!!

I'll be putting it through the paces next weekend as the family and some friends are having an outing...
Plenty of battoning and feather sticks, cooking and the likes...so I'll try and get some pics for that review I intend to do... I'll keep you posted .😉

 

[mick91]

Brilliant mate! Thank you!
I did a little whittling today, nothing special , but the Buzzard excelled. Its scary sharp!!!!

I'll be putting it through the paces next weekend as the family and some friends are having an outing...
Plenty of battoning and feather sticks, cooking and the likes...so I'll try and get some pics for that review I intend to do... I'll keep you posted .😉

Great to hear it's searving you well mate

 

[HillBill]

You say you got the steel from damasteel... so I'm assuming its stainless damascus?

 

[crosslandkelly]

That's just wow, great work.

 

[mick91]

You say you got the steel from damasteel... so I'm assuming its stainless damascus?

It is indeed, DS93X. It was a bugger to etch

 

[mick91]

That's just wow, great work.

Thanks man

 

[HillBill]

You say you heat treated it in a coal forge? Mate, you can't really heat treat stainless steel like that. Needs precise temperature control, and to be held a specific temp for a specific amount of time. Digitally controlled kilns are a must for stainless.

It is indeed. It was a bugger to etch

 

[mick91]

You say you heat treated it in a coal forge? Mate, you can't heat treat stainless steel like that. Needs precise temperature control, and to be held a specific temp for a specific amount of time. Digitally controlled kilns are a must for stainless.

I've worked a fair few knives in stainless and had no problem with the heat treat. Hardness always seems pretty uniform too. Admittedly to get them 100% uniform I'd need to invest in a digital kiln but if it holds a good edge and doesn't snap or bend that'll do me if it's some of the more specialised steels I'll send them away for a heat and cryo cycle but so long as you're careful I find a regular forge works just fine
That being said I did have issues at first, a stopwatch and laser thermometer helped a great deal as did adding air flow control to the forge

 

[HillBill]

You have a very narrow margin in temperature range for stainless, and there is no way you can know what temp a coal forge is heating the steel to. You also have to hold it at that exact temp for an exact amount of time. Normally 15 to 30 mins or the steel will not harden properly. No one uses coal forges for stainless. Carbon is fine in things like that, but in all honesty, i wouldn't go near a forge like that to harden stainless steels. You will not get it right.

Expensive mistake to be making with Damasteel, i use it myself, and know what it costs.

What temp did you think you were getting the steel to before quenching?

You'd be better off getting all stainless blade professionally heat treated.

Also, stainless steels need protecting from oxygen during hardening as the temps you need to reach to actually harden it causes decarb

 

[mick91]

You have a very narrow margin in temperature range for stainless, and there is no way you can know what temp a coal forge is heating the steel to. You also have to hold it at that exact temp for an exact amount of time. Normally 15 to 30 mins or the steel will not harden properly. No one uses coal forges for stainless. Carbon is fine in things like that, but in all honesty, i wouldn't go near a forge like that to harden stainless steels. You will not get it right.

Expensive mistake to be making with Damasteel, i use it myself, and know what it costs.

What temp did you think you were getting the steel to before quenching?

You'd be better off getting all stainless blade professionally heat treated.

I know what you mean, but as I said I've never had any bad feedback. And from trying to drill through a piece I don't think it was case hardened. Some stainlesses are easy to hear treat mind you. 410 springs to mind. Gets sharp and stays sharp is the important but to me yeah they can be pricy but always had good quality from them, worth every penny especially if it's the RWL (that stuff I do send off!)

It was held and quenched at 1050 according to the thermometer and tempered for 2 hours at 200. Basically followed the instructions from damasteel. Don't get me wrong mark I very much appreciate the advice mate but the hardening I've never found too difficult on a coal forge. So long as it's harder when it comes out than when it went in.

 

[Grotzilla]

Your on top form with these tools lately mate, I need to save some money! Lol

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[mick91]

Your on top form with these tools lately mate, I need to save some money! Lol

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

I'm not too pricy rich! Especially for yourself, just sell a couple of footmen!

 

[Grotzilla]

I'm not too pricy rich! Especially for yourself, just sell a couple of footmen!

Just bought myself a bergans lavvu last week, I'm thinking about using a couple of them to warm the tent!

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk