Charlton Damascus Knives

[ZeroGravitas]

Busted.
My steel knowledge is 2" deep and 20 years out of date. I asked my brother about one of those "number steels" last week while trying to figure out which blade to make into a project knife. His response sounded like advertizing fluff; "they're really hard and make excellent knives"

If Charleton's ready made knives are $200ish, then what the heck - GO FOR IT- The blade blanks I bought from him were $95 each...and the ugly knife guys at www.scrapyardknives.com make $200 knives.

The knife I use (abuse) to open cans, scrape dried grass out out of the lawnmower, and other non-cutting tasks is 440 stainless with a 'chute cord handle. I can lose it or break it, and I sharpen it with a file. So maybe my definition of working is bogus.

Here's the "number steel" blank that got my attention to waver from Charleton's stuff . I had to look again to see about the number: CM154

http://www.knifekits.com/vcom/product_i ... ts_id=1235

[D5CAV]

Thanks! Nice looking blade for a nice price - $95!

I'm not into knifemaking, so I'll probably just do the thong-thing with some 550 cord and use an old sheath.

[SeekHer]

I use knives everyday in the bush and I mostly prefer Damascus (except for filleting knives)...Yes, I might have to touch up the blade after skinning and finishing out a moose but I have to do the same thing with most of the knives out there...

I also found that Damascus is a lot easier to use when it's -20, it warms up faster then other steels...

I now carry a D2 blade by Bob Dozier as my daily carry as it's nearly indestructible and has stayed sharp after doing 5 caribou and a moose...Pro Guide model is $255 and has no character compared to Damascus...

[308Mike]

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.

Even so, a close look with a loop or even a bright light along the edge will show the folds of a true Damascus blade. Ive seen acid-etching and it almost NEVER goes to the area where the blade meets edge and is not traceable along the edge where portions might be visible. If you look closely, the etching lines disappear where the blade has been sharpened, in contrast to a true Damascus blade where you can trace the folds right through the sharpening edge (although you might need a loop depending on how fine and tight the blade fold are).

[SeekHer]

Mike, very good point...We had a question regarding this and a folding knife awhile back (that I'll have to find) where it was discussed...

There is three kinds of Damascus--Acid etched, cable and folded and go up in price accordingly...

Acid etched is regular steel for lack of the term coloured and lines almost drawn on--I've seen folders, Trapper Models going for $8.00...This is not Damascus, this is fake and this is pure crap in most cases...

Cable is where they will take steel cable, bridge supports etc. and heat the metal add flux and pound it into one glob of metal, maybe twist it and voila, a Damascus type of blade, which it truly is, billets (layers) of steel married under heat and pounding but it is still not "TRUE" Damascus...prices begin around $100.00…I’ve got a few and they’re nice blades…some very interesting patterns can be accomplished but you’re still only sharpening one steel (usually)

True Damascus is a melding of two or three (sometimes even more) metals of different hardness under heat and hammer, folded and twisted many times to form the blank...to be true Damascus is must be of two different metals--hard & soft which is also what a true Japanese blade is constructed of but of course not called that...priced begin at $200.00…

Prices vary by the method of forming the blank (by hand or machine). Quality of the steels used, makers’ reputation and whether the knife maker(s) made their own blanks or bought one from someone else (very common) and size/shape and all the bells and whistles…

EDIT
Found it--Xmas Knife

[ZeroGravitas]

I agree regarding fake damascus and etching, but in my experience all damacus must be etched to highlight the different steels. When forging is complete the damascus pattern is not very apparent. The acid etchs the two different steels at slightly different rates, creating the pattern. Etch for too long and both steels look grey. To get a fine finish it takes several short etch/polish steps.

Below is a current Dam project knife, that got badlly scratched after assembly, so I repolished and am carefully re-etching. One side shows a single pass and the next pic shows two passes. I think I'll be happy after about four etches.

[ZeroGravitas]

I received the 2 blanks from Charleton and as Rob explained on the phone, they are nicer than the web photos. I'll need to get a natural light photo to do them justice.

[Darrell]

[quote="ZeroGravitas"]I agree regarding fake damascus and etching, but in my experience all damacus must be etched to highlight the different steels. When forging is complete the damascus pattern is not very apparent. The acid etchs the two different steels at slightly different rates, creating the pattern. Etch for too long and both steels look grey. To get a fine finish it takes several short etch/polish steps.

Below is a current Dam project knife, that got badlly scratched after assembly, so I repolished and am carefully re-etching. One side shows a single pass and the next pic shows two passes. I think I'll be happy after about four etches.


Nickel iron meteorites can display the so-called Widmanstatten pattern, and can be very attractive. It must be etched to bring out the pattern:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widmanst%C3%A4tten_pattern

[SeekHer]

Zero, you very correct but that is a finishing technique for Damascus manufacture not a method of faking its appearance...

I know a very good Damascus smith who uses--and he's very particular on this--Female (not male) sheep urine and alfalfa honey for his final quench and you'd be amazed at the outcome...

Looking at the Boker site, as that was prominent in the other post they indicate that their really cheap blades are acid etched yet they just refer to their real Damascus blades as Damascus...

If the knife is under $50 to $100, depending on size of course, the probability of it being genuine Damascus is slim to a snowball's chance in Hell...

A few that I really like:
Wayne Whittaker

Ken Steiger

Bill Fiorini

Fred Ott

Check out some blades by:Norman P. Bardsley, Craig Camerer, Jerry Corbit, Herb Derr, Luciano Dorneles, Kevin Harvey, Wally Hayes, Peter Martin and a slew of other makers--some truely spectacular blades...

[ZeroGravitas]

Charleton 7 1/2" bowie blanks. This stuff is hard to photograph, both blanks are great, it's the lighting, angles and idiot behind the camera making them look different.


Less foreshortening