What Is Damascus Steel? (And Everything You Need to Know about It)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2025
- What is Damascus steel?
Damascus steel is one solid piece of steel made from layering two different alloys - 1080 high-carbon steel and 15N20 carbon steel, for instance.
You can’t make Damascus steel by combining two pieces of the same alloy. That would be like stacking red Play-Doh on top of red Play-Doh - you just end up with red Play-Doh.
But when you stack red Play-Doh on top of yellow Play-Doh, you end up with different layers and colors, just like the different layers you’d see in a Damascus steel blade. You need to combine a high-carbon content steel and a high nickel content steel to create a nice contrast.
I started working with Damascus steel as a teenager, meaning I’ve been working with it for over 25 years to date. In fact, in 2000, I won the “Best Damascus Knife” award at Blade Show Atlanta, the world’s largest knife show.
Needless to say, I know a thing or two about Damascus steel - and I’m packing all my knowledge into this blog post to help you understand it, too.
Learn more: www.montanakni...
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I learned something today and in less than 8 minutes, thank you Josh!
👊👊👊
@@MontanaKnifeCompanypattern welded steel is not Damascus steel. Damascus steel is wootz steel made in a crucible.
i feel like this explained what we call the style of "Damascus" today opposed to why its called Damascus and what it was made from originally
Yep its original is from Damascus from along time ago
@@brickS-pq9pw Damuscus steel comes from india not damuscus ffs
@@ankanartworks55 yeah as u wish buddy
"damascus" steel and Damascus Steel are different things, and it is in the contemporary knife maker/knife making content creator's interest to blur those lines.
@@geniusofhate first thing he should have said was 'what we call Damascus steel today is actually called 'pattern welded steel'...and then go on to explain what that is. He didn't though, so he didn't really educate anyone, and was completely incorrect. What he described was pattern welded steel.
About 2:30: nice save!👍
Excellent explanation!!
Was hoping you’d talk about the original Damascus steel. Not todays lesser copy.
right? the history is insane
google it lazy
What nobody EVER mentions is when we look at the face of a Damascus steel knife, are you looking at the EDGE of the steel stack or the face of the steel stack? If it’s the edge, and the spine of the knife is formed by the face of the steel stack and the cutting edge is the other face, I understand how the pattern is formed. If the face of the knife is the face of the steel stack, how can we see the different types of steel from underneath?
Unbelievably great video
Thank you! This was very interesting!
Can we make a Damascus of 3 different metals ? Such as copper and nickel both sandwiched in some steel ?
Fantastic, perfect explanation! 🙏🏼
Thank you 🙌
Super helpful. Thank you for making this video.
Thanks for watching!!
What do you mean by “fuse together”?
can we use an alternating stack of mild steel and carbon steel (for the edge)?
Great show
Thanks 🙌🙌
Basically lasagna steel
😂😂😂
😂😂😂😂😂😂
Didn’t even need the video after this comment thx fam
Hahahhahahaha
"damascus" steel is a marketing term for pattern welded billets. Damascus Steel referring to the historically produced metal produced in the near east and south-east asia is a complicated topic without easy clear definitions.
Can the type of steel used to make Damascus be more than two?
It can be done but most folks stick with 2
Informative!! Thanks.
No problem!!
There'a got to be a way to automate whacking the metal with a hammer by hand.
Is it better than just melting it all into one brick? if so, how?
If you didn't care about appearance and were just going for the best knife with sharpness and strength what would the ideal layer target be like 200 layers or 600?
People folded the layers because the raw quality of the steel sucked so bad. It blends out the impurities. Modern techniques allow you to make steel so you need to fold the metal zero times. Calling it Damascus is a scam, so they can charge you more money.
@@joefish4466Ancient Damascus wasn't folded forged steel, the bands in it were due to a different process that isn't fully understood.
It still doesn't explain why modern metallurgists still call the folding process "DAMASCUS STEEL", this kind of forging process was done thousands of years ago where 2 different kinds of metals are hammered and folded to increase the metal's durability and strength, for example, Samurai Swords are basically a more authentic and more refined traditional process of what modern metallurgist/content creators made in their shop, so basically the more traditional style folding process well cut and beat content creators Damascus steel any day.
Real Damascus Steel was not just about the folding process but also the types of metal used and techniques, that were used to create a durable and strong blade that does not rust away in time before stainless steel was even created in the factory decades ago. It was made in Damascus modern Day Syria 2 Thousand Years Ago. But that process was lost for some unknown reason, maybe back in the day making real Damascus steel blades was more expensive and time-consuming than making regular folded steel that content creators are making today and have decided to patent their folded steel Damascus Steel.
#MontanaKnifeCompany
how steel can be used against leaf spring in damascus?
Cool 👍
Thanks 🤘🤘🤘
Hi, check out pulad and wootz steels from central asia and india. Made since the first century, sold thru damascus . It has a different pattern to forge welded steel. Hope this interests you. Good forging.
this guy knows
Incorrect. True Damascus steel is wootz steel, made in a crucible. Not patterned welded steel.
Wootz steel, enough said, if you don't know what that is, you don't know what Damascus is
So, Damacus steel is basically lasagna steel, but the number of layers fold exponentially. Somewhat an Alloy but isn't one.
Other Josh, you gotta get a damn mic man!!! Lol
Has a magic welding temp of 22 -2300°f ...so it doesnt have a magic temp
#damascussteeliran
A good iron smith should know his steel and history of it..
There is nothing call Damascus steel!!!
Its crucible steel also called woots
Once imported to Siria by Arab they use to make knives and swords to be exported to Europe!
what you are doing is just a pattern!
The pattern in woots is not because of any prints or layer forging but due to manufacturing process of the steel in small crucibles
It was known to people of particular of south India! more than 2000 years ago
These art of steel making was the inspiration of mass scale production in Europe
The art was lost or you may say forced to be forgotten by the British by banning steel production in India! you can understand why
Very unfortunate
But many did re invented it !!
Many swords are there in British museum which tooted items were made of this steel..
no offense please
Good stuff, keep it up (Y)
Yikes...no comment....good luck....err..
So it's like a lasagna 🤔
I mean 🤷♂️
@@MontanaKnifeCompany So why did I pay a fortune for it? Are you a fraud for calling this Damascus? Why not call your pattern welded knives Gucci?
@@joefish4466 not sure what you’re referring to as far as what you have paid for, but we as a company do not sell Damascus knives - if there’s an issue that needs be resolved somehow then please shoot us an email
Info@montanaknifecompany.com
Might be ok for knife blades but ain't worth a shit for shotgun barrels.
nice that you dont know anything about damascus have you ever hear of wootz damascus steel
P.S. why do you ALWAYS looked stoned?? Haha Serious question Lol I know it's Montana, which would make sense but still, curiosity got the better of me Lol
😂definitely not stoned here or otherwise!
Very inappropriate question
He just has a bad skin condition. Should see a dermatologist.
Completely wrong. What the man explained is how to get an aesthetic similar to damascus steel. HOWEVER, no one knows how to make the real damascus steel, the recipe was lost in history, it is by far the strongest steel ever created.
That makes sense if you do not think about it, or you could do some research. No recipe was lost. What is lost are the impurities that were present in the crucible, that created carbonized dendrites, which gave Damascus a distinctive look. Today modern steel is made without impurities. What is called Damascus, is actually pattern welded steel, as true Damascus was one steel that was not acid etched.
You're absolutely wrong. Damascus steel came from mines In the middle east. And the composition of the steel happened to give you those patterns. The mines are dry. You will never have Damascus again. You're talking about folded forged steel. Stop lying
They combine many ore from different place, not only from single mines. They're the best blacksmith thousand years ago
Sure - folded, forged steel which is commonly referred to today as "Damascus steel." It's like how "real" wagyu comes EXCLUSIVELY from certain breeds of cow in Hyogo prefecture, and "real" champagne comes EXCLUSIVELY from the region that was historically the province of Champagne. And yet today, you can buy reasonably good "wagyu" and "champagne" at most large supermarkets in most developed countries, and most normal people don't have a stick up their ass about it. Words evolve, don't be a pedant.
@@zackakai5173 I feel better after reading that I don't care who made it as long as it's quality. Getting a six inch boning knife posted soon
Unfortunately though, this is not completely accurate. The way they made Damascus steel historically was using pucks of cast steel.
Yet he doesn’t even explain the benefit of this type of steel and why it’s better than one type of steel
The benefit is purely aesthetic, as pattern welded steel can be attractive. However because of more time and material involved, the "Damascus" is more expensive, and actually pattern welded steel. True Damascus was made from a single steel with impurities that formed dendrites which made an interesting pattern on the steel.
BEEN LOOKING AROUND FOR A FOLDER, ALL THESE COMPANY’S POP UP IN MY FEED.. LOOKED AT YOUR SITE… NO POLISHED CHEFS KNIVES… ALL COATED… I WONT COOK WITH COATED AS A PRO. MANY WONT EITHER. IF YOU REALLY WANT TO PROTECT IT SAN MAI IT AROUND THE MAGNACUT. 😊 BUT PROS ACTUALLY TAKE TACE OF THIER SHlT 😅
MY DREAM KNIFE IS A 13” CHEF STYLE IN TAMAHAGANE AND REAL HANDLE.. NONE OF THAT MICARTA/G10 BS. WOOD. BONE. ETC. (WHITE OAK CORE) AND, A WELL FITTING SAYA MADE OF MAGNOLIA. AS AN ECHEF, XBUTCHER, NOW, AS A SAHD WITH BAD HANDS (WORK INJURY AS LOSS PREVENTION) I PUT RIDICULOUS ANGLES ON MY BLADES. STARPEN TO 10K GRIT, AND STROP. JUST LASERS TO CUT WITH. I HONE DURING USE WITH A BROKEN PIECE OF BAMBOO CUTTING BOARD END GRAIN FILLED WITH DUST FROM AROUND 5K GRIT. EVEN FOR MY HANDS, I MUST DISCLOSE I USE AN INVERTED MOUNTED RO PALM SANDER WITH THE GRITS. UNDER MICROSCOPE IT DOES A BETTER JOB, ACTUALLY. HOURS IN SECONDS. DAYS IN MINUTES. THOUSANDS IN STONES FOR LESS THAN 100 BUCKS 😅 IF IM SETTING A NEW BLADE OR FULL FRESH EDGE I USE EMERY CLOTH, 80, 120, 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500, 2K, 3K, 5K, 7K, 8K, 10K, SUADE, POLISHED LEATHER (MY BELT, INSIDE AND OUTSIDE, REAL ONE PIECE OF LEATHER BELT) PLUS, THE EDGES OF THE PALM SANDER THE PAPER WRAPS AROUND IS CURVED PERFECT FOR LARGE SERRATIONS, LIKE A BREAD KNIFE. SMALL ASS SERRATED SECTIONS ON POCKET KNIVES ARE STUPID AND USELESS, AND MAKE UP FOR POOR METAL AND POOR SHARPENING. 😅 YOUR KNIVES LOOK SICK THOUGH! MAGNACUT FFS 😂 NICE! OUT OF MY RANGE THOUGH. HAPPY TO HAVE COME ACROSS THEM THOUGH!! 😊🎉
WELL F. YA KNOW WHAT I DIDN’T SEE? YOU HAVE THE PERFECT BASE IN YOUR CORD WRAPPED OUTDOOR KNIFE… A PARING KNIFE… A GOOD PARING KNIFE IS HIGHLY UNDERESTIMATED IN PRO KITCHENS.. ESPECIALLY WITH A SAYA, WITH A BELT CLIP… NO SHlT… BACK IN THE DAY I WOULD KEEP ONE TIP UP IN MY CHEF HAT. TIP UP IN MY ARM SLEVE THAT ARE NOW SEEN WITH THERMOMETERS 😅 ITS ONE FOR A SHARPIE, ONE FOR A PARING KNIFE, 2 SLOTS IN ONE POCKET. ONLY THE EXEC CHEF NEEDS A PEN 😅
FROM WHAT I SAW TOO, I WOULD PAY MORE FOR INDIVIDUALLY TEMPERED KNIVES.. NOT 20 ON A WIRE.. A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE HAS A WESTERN STYLE OF MY JAP KNIVE, EXACT. SAME METAL, SAME COMPANY. VG10 CORE DAMASCUS. HIS, IS A DAMN FREAK. MINE IS AWESOME.. HIS HAS GOT TO BE LIKE A 70 HRC. WTF. MOST DIFFICULT METAL I HAVE WORKED WITH. SIGNIFICANTLY HARDER THAN MINE AT A REASONABLE 64.
I ALSO HATE BS DAMASCUS PATTERN, USELESS STYLE. YOU CAN TELL BY THE PATTERN INTERSECTING THE EDGE INSTEAD OF RUNNING PARALLEL. IF BOTH METAL TYPES ARE ON THE EDGE OF COURSE IT WILL BE ‘SHARP’, LIKE A GINSU IN FACT 😂 MICRO SERRATIONS.