How the Damascus Knives made

Damascus1 is a place where things are done with value, with our hands and the talent that God has given us. Each knife is hand-made from beginning to end ... from the forge to the grinder, each is hammered, shaped and the edge is always perfectly ground by hand to reach the sharpest edge that a knife can have. The handles have an expert form, of course, by highlighting by hand the delicate and beautiful details of the material used which are often lost in the traditional manufacture of Custom Damascus Folding knives. I will briefly describe some of the steps it took to make the knife you are currently holding.

Why 1095 high carbon steel:

The 10XX (1045, 1095) Steels - 1095 is the most used 10XX steel for knife blades. Steel in the 1045-1095 range is used for knife blades, although 1050 is more commonly seen in swords. 1045 steel has less carbon (.45%), where 1095 has more (.95%), conversely 1095 has less manganese and 1045 has more. So, in essence, 1095 steel would have more wear resistance, but would also be less difficult. 1045 holds a good edge, 1095 steel holds a big edge, and is easy to sharpen. The major disadvantage of this type of steel is that it rusts easily. Because of this problem, you will often see 1095 blades with some type of coating to combat rust. If you buy a knife with this type of blade, make sure you put it away and you should not have a problem. High carbon steel also, because of its rich carbon content, it is versatile as a steel fire (for use with flint and steel). Dave Canterbury teaches the use of your main tool (the knife) to be your reliable and effective way to start a fire in any situation using real flint. Carbon is what spontaneously burns with the "blow" of flint and causes the spark that is usually about 800 degrees.

Forging is the process in which the metal is shaped by hammering. Forging is different from machining in that the material is not removed; rather, iron is hammered into form. Even cutting and cutting operations (except when cutting waste) by blacksmiths usually rearrange the metal around the hole, rather than piercing it like chips.

There are seven basic operations or techniques used in forging: drawing, shrinking (a type of backflow), bending, upsetting, hammering, punching and forging welding. These operations usually use at least one hammer and anvil, but blacksmiths will also use other tools and techniques to accommodate work of irregular or repetitive size.

The "black" in "blacksmith" refers to the black fire scale, a layer of oxides that forms on the surface of the metal during heating. The origin of "Smith" is discussed, it can come from the old English word "Smythe" meaning "to strike" or it can come from the "smith" Proto-German which means "skilled worker." Who was the first blacksmith? Tubal-Cain is mentioned in the Genesis of the Bible book as the original blacksmith. In medieval times, the forge was considered part of all seven mechanical arts. The first blacksmith to arrive in colonial America was a comrade named James Reed, who quickly forged an iron chisel for each of his grateful Jamestown comrades. Colonial blacksmiths have rarely finished or polished blackened charcoal metal from the forge. Some, however, impressed their initials or branded tools they were particularly proud of. This "brand" is called the touch mark.

Tempering: When heated to a certain point and cooled quickly, the steel becomes hard, brittle and full of stress; This is called extinction. This form of steel is known as "martensite". Martensite, which comes from the quenching process, is fragile, stressful and unsuitable for making a knife. If she fell to the ground at this point, she would break like glass. Heating the martensite to a lower temperature will soften it, relieve stress and produce a repairable product. The low-temperature treatment, usually between 375 and 500 F, is called tempering or drawing the temperament.

Heat Treatment: Civilization as we know it would not be possible if the man had not learned to use iron and steel to the high degree it is used today. Steel is unique and useful because it can be treated so that it is extremely hard, elastic or relatively soft. As cutlers, we can use the extreme forms that steel can be heat-treated for our benefit. The best example is a blade that has been selectively hardened or selectively hardened. Such a blade can have an extremely hard edge while supporting a 90-degree stretch test. This is possible because the edge is hard, the central part of the blade is soaked in spring and the back is relatively soft. (This process is a little more complicated and would require practical demonstrations and trade secrets !!!). Thus, the steel in your hand has become a virtually unbreakable knife, holds an extremely sharp edge and has beautiful hammer marks that make it unmistakably unique. (The snake-skin hammer mark comes from the most popular hammer I've "dressed" specifically for these Custom Damascus Folding knives)