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Powder Steel Damascus

Someone asked about making damascus with powdered steel. Here is a brief overview based on my knowledge and experience. This info is based on making carbon steel damascus. You can introduce small quantities of stainless to carbon steel damascus and continue to treat it (and heat-treat it just like carbon steel). Most of time you see a repeating pattern in a blade, you are seeing powder steel damascus. Often when you see bolsters with the same pattern, you are seeing powder steel damascus. Here is a look at how it is done.

At this point you could forge your damsacus into a blade. Or you could slice it like a loaf of bread and turn it into a lot of bolsters. Or you could cut it into one inch lengths and make several guards. Or you could cut it into half inch lengths and make several butt caps....

If you practise a lot, you can make pictures in your cans. Here are three by Daryl Meyer. He practised a LOT!!!

Tags: damascus, powderedsteel

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Comment by Doug Scearce on January 22, 2010 at 18:59: Thanks Paul for your wisdom!!

Comment by Paul J Granger on January 22, 2010 at 15:08: If it is done properly and there are no voids, then it is as strong as forged damascus. You do want to be sure to grind your "can" completely off. Typically you would use 1040 square tube steel to make your can. 1040 does not have enough carbon in it to harden as a knife should. If I recall correctly railroad spikes are 1050 steel ( meaning they contain one-half of one per cent carbon). They barely make a serviceable knife (No offence rustic knifemakers). So you definitely wanto to get all that 1040 "can" ground off.

You just gotta avoid the void! ;)

Comment by Doug Scearce on January 22, 2010 at 5:21: Is this as strong as forged Damascus? are more for Appearance?

Comment by Paul J Granger on January 19, 2010 at 21:07: Thank you, Kurt. It's fun to share knowledge. And the guys that taught me made me promise to.
Best wishes, Paul

Comment by Kurt Shanor on January 19, 2010 at 20:56: Thank you, for Taking the time to post the Damascus article, I really enjoyed seeing how that was done.