First Damascus Blade Etched

kbaknife · March 14, 2009, 09:19:00 PM

Well, fellas, here's my first Damascus blade etched.
As you may remember from the first post, this ended up being 405 layers.
I got a fantastic amount of chatoyance. (3-D)
For those of you who may not be entirely familiar with forging Damascus, the 3-D effect going on there is the result of the hammer blows from the power hammer and the hand held hammers distorting the layers while forging, as well as the grinding between stacking and re-welding.
Since you have to grind of the scale after each welding cycle, and the layers keep getting thinner and thinner, you actually end up grinding through the top layers of the billet.
As well, while forging the blade, I went berserk on the bar of steel with a ball piene hammer before finishng out the blade.
Next is to finish out the knife and then hot-blue the blade.
The hot-bluing will make that knife come ALIVE!

MYSTIKBOW · March 14, 2009, 09:25:00 PM

That is just BEEEAAUTIFUL

Man I love the way an expertly layered Demascus pattern looks.

kbaknife · March 14, 2009, 09:31:00 PM

"Expertly"??
That's my first one!

GRINCH · March 14, 2009, 11:43:00 PM

Don't change you style that looks perfect.

Lin Rhea · March 15, 2009, 06:19:00 AM

It turned out VERY nice! I bet she will cut good too. I noticed a guard on the bench. Is it for this blade? Lin

d. ward · March 15, 2009, 07:47:00 AM

wow good looking blade there.bd

kbaknife · March 15, 2009, 08:03:00 AM

QuoteOriginally posted by Lin Rhea:
It turned out VERY nice! I bet she will cut good too. I noticed a guard on the bench. Is it for this blade? Lin

No. It'll be like the one in the drawing:
Hot blued and a stabilized "feather" walnut handle.
The blade blued as well.

Kevin Evans · March 15, 2009, 10:04:00 AM

Very nice Karl

Whats your blade thickness?

Steve Nuckels · March 15, 2009, 11:33:00 AM

WOW! That is soooo cool!

---------------
IN GOD WE TRUST

oldpaths · March 15, 2009, 12:03:00 PM

Keep going berzerk kba! it works,cant wait to see it finished.

kbaknife · March 15, 2009, 01:27:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by Rooster1:
Very nice Karl
Whats your blade thickness?

At the guard shoulders it's .241"

skullworks · March 16, 2009, 07:00:00 AM

AWESOME!!!!! Great work Karl!

OconeeDan · March 16, 2009, 04:33:00 PM

Looks great! Anxiously awaiting for photos of it blued. Dan

MYSTIKBOW · March 16, 2009, 07:45:00 PM

Woops sorry Karl.Guess I used the word "expert" in the wrong context. LOL I've read just about all your posts. Even the technical ones. (tech. from my stand point anyway) Your knowledge of metals and metallurgy is astounding! So I figured only an expert could have their first attempt come out so perfectly!