Charlton Damascus Knives

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D5CAV
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Charlton Damascus Knives

Post by D5CAV »

At the last Richmond ELGS, Rob Charlton of Damascus USA knives had a table.

http://www.damascususa.com/knives.htm

His knives were beautifully made. They were about the same price as high-end commercial machine made knives (Cold Steel, SOG, TOPS), and a lot cheaper than name-brand custom knives (Randall). He seemed like a good guy as well.

If I buy one of his knives, it will be to use, not to collect. Any issues with damascus blades? Any comments on edge holding, toughness, brittleness, etc.?

TIA
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SeekHer
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Re: Charlton Damascus Knives

Post by SeekHer »

He makes excellent knives and his pricing for Damascus is cheaper then some of the commercial makers s/s blades...If you are even remotely thinking about another maker, DON’T as theirs will not compare in quality for the same price…Buy him! $200 for a custom made, good Damascus blade hunter with giraffe bone (hardest bone in the world)—You can’t go wrong and I can’t sing his praises any higher without making you think I’m a distributor for his knives or something…

Don’t you just love his Marine Combat Knife all prettied up! I had his Hunter/Camper and a Capstick American (African?) but no more...I’m also interested in his JRS Hunter and the General Yeager Hunter Skinner…Did you get to handle the Bird & Trout by any chance, sheer beauty in balance and design…I first came across his blades many years ago at the Reno Show that takes place with the Safari Club Int. convention…I won the bid on one of his donated knives, the Capstick, but I never met him until much later when I got the Camper at some show out east Florida(?)…

Why would you treat Damascus any different then any other carbon or s/s knife...There isn't anything unique about it...it isn't more delicate then any other steel...

What to look for is how it's made, from what the bars were made from...the forging technique as those will determine the price...

I will buy Damascus before any other material in the knife I’m wanting and if the maker works with it and lots of them don’t or won’t because it is time consuming, hot & sweaty and if you miss a quench at the right time you have a piece of brittle metal paperweight…Lots of guys buy their Damascus blanks from professional makers and either forge it further or stock remove it to shape…

There is also cable Damascus where they use the steel guy wires from cranes etc., heat them up, bang them together and call it Damascus…It is, just a cheaper version of it but it can make for some lovely blades…

Remember a Randall is a $400 to $500 knife with a fancy makers name on it, making it a $700 knife and worth every damn penny...Why there is a four+ year waiting list for their custom work! That's right four+ years!

Check out Rehoboth Custom Knives who is a dealer in some excellent blades…Look for Wally Hayes, Craig Camerer, David Brodziak, Bailey Bradshaw, Don Norris, Harvey Dean, Scott Smith, Shawn Ellis, Shawn McIntyre to see some of the greatest patterns available in Damascus…Birds flying, horses marching, flags waving worked into the steel…
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D5CAV
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Re: Charlton Damascus Knives

Post by D5CAV »

Thanks for the info SH.

I was looking at the Capstick African & the Chuck Yeager skinner. I'll look for him at the next ELGS & pick them up. He was selling them on the table for a few $s less than his website.

The Marine Corp knife is beautiful, but I'm not sure how useful it will be as a hunting knife.
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toad
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Re: Charlton Damascus Knives

Post by toad »

Ahhh dang it. If you guys had just showed me this about six months ago.
Damascus blades you could afford to carry, drool.
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308Mike
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Re: Charlton Damascus Knives

Post by 308Mike »

toad wrote:Ahhh dang it. If you guys had just showed me this about six months ago.
Damascus blades you could afford to carry, drool.
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Aglifter
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Re: Charlton Damascus Knives

Post by Aglifter »

The only thing to watch about a Damascus hunting knife, AFAIK, is that the ridges, etc tend to hold blood. Eezox is a good thing for them.
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toad
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Re: Charlton Damascus Knives

Post by toad »

Well most of the Damascus Knives I've seen to date were beautiful and had a four figure or high three figure price tag. I'd end up keeping then in a safe somewhere even if I could have afforded one.
ZeroGravitas

Re: Charlton Damascus Knives

Post by ZeroGravitas »

I'm getting a couple of his Randall-style damascus blanks. They are well forged, not like the Indian/Paki imports. I'll post some stuff when I get them.

Image
ZeroGravitas

Re: Charlton Damascus Knives

Post by ZeroGravitas »

And to respond to your questions regarding damascus;
Edge holding - they are softer than one of the high-Rockwell modern steels so, in comparison, no. They are not made with a core of hard steel, they are made to be beautiful. Damascus will take a hell of an edge - I pretend it's the different metals creating a micro-serration, but it's just easier to sharpen a plain forged steel to a razor.

Brittleness - I think Damascus is probably less brittle than a modern steel, but don't have any real info. I shoot damascus barreled guns with low pressure loads, and know that 100 year old damascus barreled guns pass British proof tests on a regular basis. Cheap clunker-status damascus barrels on hardware-store shotguns is what gave damascus a bad name in this country. High grade damascus barrels are excellent, and were not made obsolete by nitro powder, but by cost of manufacture.

Toughness - I would not try to bend or pry, or do of those Cold Steel bending demonstrations with Damascus. To my knowledge damascus has not been surface hardened and forging is the only process affecting molecular structure. So, consider it similar to a high-carbon steel that has not been heat treated. The damascus pattern on the surface is fragile; it's been highlighted by acid etching and can polished off leaving a plain steel-looking surface. The acid (I use ferric chloride) etches the lower carbon steel faster than the higher carbon steel.

For a hard-working knife I'd get modern steel. Damascus is like a professional fashion model; very very hot and will make your friends jealous as hell, but probably not the right girl to marry.
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D5CAV
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Re: Charlton Damascus Knives

Post by D5CAV »

Thanks Zero,

A casual search of "damascus knives" turns up 10,000 ebay listings of $20 knives. Bob's knives start at $100. I'm glad to know I'm paying for better forging.

These days, a machine made K-bar costs $80, so a Charlton knife at $200 seems like a reasonable deal -- and at a price point that I'm not afraid to use it.

An Ontario Knife K-bar is my reference point, btw. I buy other knives, but I seem to keep coming back to that K-bar. It keeps a good edge, it takes rought treatment and keeps ticking (steel wool for the surface rust & stone for the edge).

If you don't recommend the damascus for a working knife, what's your recommendation for a reasonable factory blade? Have you tried any of those new "crucible" steel knives? I see them a lot on smaller blades, but not on big, working blades.
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