TRUELY world class damascus steel blades

[Robbi]

Lets be straight here, this is NOT a dig at anyone but goodness me, this really is world class damascus, made by the same guy that did the knife and fork set..........enjoy

http://www.sablade.com/forums/showthread.php?39-Ettore-Gianferrari-Gallery

 

[British Red]

That's some pretty steel!

I remember Cegga sending me pictures of some Damascus rifle barrels he and his team made.....some of these smiths really are artists huh?

 

[Robbi]

absolutely stunning stuff BR, a pure pleasure to behold.

 

[British Red]

I like this pattern ...snowflakes?

 

[Robbi]

go through the entire thread BR and check out some of the coloured stuff he does

 

[British Red]

I have - beautiful! The intricacy of the two tone stuff speaks to me most though...complex but elegant.

 

[HillBill]

And probably not the best function wise

 

[Toddy]

......posts 111 and 112 and my birthday's coming up, but there's no way they'll even consider another knife
but oh, those steels are beautiful

M

 

[British Red]

Nah - you should see my knives Mark - makes me blush

My Ablett is currently covered in tree sap and my Opinel is caked in beeswax! I will clean the sap off tonight and run a stone over it - but I shouldn't have pretty blades with acid etch - I would mank them up in week

 

[Toddy]

Y'know ? that's such a good reason for me not to have one of those beautiful damascus blocks made into a knife
Mine get utterly manky. They get cleaned and stropped and wiped with an oily cloth before they get put away, right enough, but it'd be a criminal shame to get one of those muddy, sticky, sappy, and down right filthy as my others get at times

Thanks BR, best excuse yet

cheers,
M

 

[Robbi]

Toddy, to get a knife made with that damascus......."muddy, sticky, sappy, and down right filthy as my others get at times"
would be perfect ! and i'm sure the maker would be absolutely delighted that it is being used as it should be

so i reckon thats a good reason to get one

 

[British Red]

Mary, I am the living embodiment of "this is why we can't have nice things" . I do love the look of Damascus...but I know how long it would last. I bought BB a half moon turf cutter the other day - even before she used it, she asked I put a "proper" edge on it...so it went on a slack belt sander. Its sharp now...but the pretty factory finish is already gone

 

[demographic]

They remind me of a Chopper Motorcycle and whilst I can appreciate the skill that's gone into making it, I don't actually want one.

 

[Tat2trev]

It's been said awesome workmanship .
But really not for everyday use they are more ornamental .

 

[John Fenna]

Wow .... and wow again!
That is not World Class - that is beyond this world!
A true Master!

 

[Dave Budd]

damascus (or pattern welding as I prefer to call it, since that is what it is) is a very addictive thing to make. Once you start making it and learning to develop patterns, you start to think of what to do next and pushing yourself both in design and technique. Mosaic patterns (such as the snowflakes) are getting more and more elaborate thanks to CNC waterjet cutting and powdered steels, on the most part I'm not a huge fan of the resulting patterns as they end up very busy. The addiction is normally only curbed in the skilled by lack of machinery such as various grinders, milling machines, presses and hammers.

I'm not lucky enough to have many of the toys (tools) that make pattern welding fast and economical, so I don't make a lot and stick to lower layer counts and somewhat less complicated billets. That said, I have been doing more multibar pieces because you can make small amounts of welded steel up over a long period of time and then when in the mood stick them all together into one finished piece that is far more complex than its parts.

As a maker of the stuff I love looking at other smiths pattern welded steel and trying to work out how they did it and how much material was lost through the process. There are some great bits out there, not just blades but tools, clocks, boxes, candlesticks, etc. I think its a shame that it doesn't get used for more artistic objects. Blades do get scratched, the pattern fades, etc

Mind you, my EDC pocket knife of the last 18 months has been a pattern welded blade with mokume (non-ferrous version of the same stuff) handle. It isn't as bold and clear as when new, but it still shows the pattern and looks ok. I'm going to make myself a new edc fixed blade for work soon, to replace my current one, and I'm thinking a multibar pattern welded piece with wrought iron and some gold and silver inlay, probably an inlayed or engraved handle too. Sure most would look at it and say that it isn't for using and is a purely decorative piece. Sod that! I know that the blade will be up to anything I will be doing with it and since I can have a blade like that, why not?! Most makers will make the blades to work as good knives, its just that the buyers are unlikely to want to scratch them

 

[IanM]

I knocked out some simple Damascus billets at school, twisted and layered, just to understand the technique for my 'A' levels. But I have seen a shotgun with the Damascus showing the makers name repeated along the barrel like a stick of Brighton rock and I have no idea how you would do that or produce the designs above.

There are some unappreciated, highly skilled people in the world, we need an Olympics for them and some new year honours instead of the typical wasters we have now.

Superb work.

 

[Dreadhead]

wow beautiful work, as mr budd said i prefer the less busy stuff, but the work gone into that damascus is impressive!

 

[John Fenna]

I could never justify my using a blade so beautiful as some of that work!
I do own a Damascus bladed knife and it is a "worker" not just a "user" - but it is nowhere near as pretty as any of that work!

 

[Mesquite]

Now that truly is world class damascus... simply stunning work