What is the true steel of Damascus?

What is the true steel of Damascus?

The word "Damascus steel" is unfortunately not a protected term and, therefore, cheap lamination laminates are often sold as damask. In a rolling mill, a normal steel knife (often free of rust) is provided in the welded joint with a "strip paper" to produce a damask appearance. However, unlike the real damask, this method has no effect on the cutting properties of the blade, so only optics are paid here!

The right steel of Damascus consists of at least two blades for blades, which are alternately present on the blade as many thin layers. In addition, a decisive quality feature is that steels not only differ, but complement each other in interaction. Especially the favorable and imported damask often has large fluctuations in quality.

But be careful: there are big differences in quality, even if it looks similar! Five properties must be met in order for a knife made of Damascus steel to be of high quality.

Only if all 5 criteria are fulfilled, a Damascus is worth its price:

1. Damascene steels must complement each other in their properties and be adapted to their use. Especially with Damascus steels at low prices from abroad, usually because there is no steel used with high quality components such as 1095 and 15N20, 1.1248, 1.2003, 1.2067, 1.3505, 1.2210 and other high-quality steels we use for our unique compositions according to the knife line. Our tip: Stay away from Damascus Cheap.

2. The arrangement of the Damascus steels and the mixing ratio should be chosen according to the conditions. The number of layers must also be at least 100 layers. We recommend 50 to 100 layers per mm of material thickness.

3. The steel structure must be adjusted optimally by means of a precise heat treatment. In Damascus steel production, the steel is heated to over 1200 ° C. As a result, the steel structure suffers enormously and the steel becomes rough and brittle. It is only when the microstructure has been professionally corrected and refined that the resulting knife will stay sharp for a long time and give you pleasure. The purchase of damask is a matter of confidence in the capabilities of the manufacturer. Otherwise, buy the cat in the bag.

4. Small weld faults may appear in Damascus steel, but they must be very small and hardly visible. In no case large defects can be repaired simply with the welding machine, because these areas will not be difficult later. Be careful of large spots that interrupt the pattern. You will be surprised how often you get to see something like this.

5. Hardening and tempering of the finished blade should be done by an experienced blacksmith. Only if you know the material accurately can you achieve optimal results. Tempering plants are often not able to harden the blade in one piece and do not release the efficiency of a good Damascene steel.