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Showing 1 of 4 conversations about:
MastodonO
5
Sep 26, 2017
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The knives in the photos do not appear to be - what I think of as - Damascus steel.
FriedShoe
188
Sep 26, 2017
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MastodonOThat's a common misconception. What you see is actually "Damascus steel" because that phrase has only ever applied to the pattern.
It's true that a patterned steel was produced in the Damascus region around the 6th century with better performance compared to other steels at the time, but this is what's known as wootz steel. Specifically, wootz steel is a crucible steel (a production method used then and now) with patterning where the patterns are composed of various carbide formations. This would have been discovered by accident as a by product of impurities in local iron combined with the crucible steel production process which reduces impurities. The observed pattern was then associated with rugs produced in Damascus as they had similar patterns. The production of these rugs and their style predated the discovery of wootz steel.
Today, the pattern is achieved by welding two different steels together in bands and folding to increase the layer count. The forge welded billet is then etched in acid and since the different steels discolor differently in acid, a pattern emerges. This patterned material is then wrapped around a solid core and does not affect the performance of the knife in any significant way.
These knives are super overpriced though, don't buy them.
It's true that a patterned steel was produced in the Damascus region around the 6th century with better performance compared to other steels at the time, but this is what's known as wootz steel. Specifically, wootz steel is a crucible steel (a production method used then and now) with patterning where the patterns are composed of various carbide formations. This would have been discovered by accident as a by product of impurities in local iron combined with the crucible steel production process which reduces impurities. The observed pattern was then associated with rugs produced in Damascus as they had similar patterns. The production of these rugs and their style predated the discovery of wootz steel.
Today, the pattern is achieved by welding two different steels together in bands and folding to increase the layer count. The forge welded billet is then etched in acid and since the different steels discolor differently in acid, a pattern emerges. This patterned material is then wrapped around a solid core and does not affect the performance of the knife in any significant way.
These knives are super overpriced though, don't buy them.
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