Kyle and I had a lot of fun making this video! It's nice to change it up every once in awhile! :) Let me know what you thought of this fun little video. :D Also, I (Josh) got inspiration to make this video by watching @OUTDOORS55 hilarious video where he bought a $24.99 Damascus Knife From Ebay. Check it out. th-cam.com/video/UeeE9DyI52w/w-d-xo.html ~Josh Royer
Hi Kyle I always wonted to do this because the question always comes up why is custom knifes so costly and the off the shelf knifes so cheep. Quality Quality Quality hand crafted is always the best as long as you have a quality maker Thanks again Ducky
So damascus steel knives on aliexpress : cheaper than 35 dollars are etched , 35 and above are non damascuss core with damascuss deco plates welded on top
Matt Schmidgall when has he NOT shown you how knives should be made? I’ll forgive you if this is your first video, but you only have to go one video back to see how a Master Smith makes a knife. To ask for a comparison of a Royer knife made in a Master Smithery vs a knife made in an Indian or Pakistani knife shop/ livingroom/ kitchen/ dining room/ sleeping quarters is absurd. There is no comparison. Might as well say, “Hey Kyle can you make a knife and test it against an overripe banana!” 🤦♂️😂🤣
His knife would be 100 times the price. For most people it wouldn’t be worth it, especially if you’re going to be rough and abuse it. If you’re rich and want a show piece, that’s a different matter.
I'm actually impressed with what you can get for $35. You literally couldn't buy the raw materials to make that yourself for double the price. Hell, just the leather for the sheath is going to cost you $10. It's a good deal for someone that wants a blade and doesn't care about heirloom quality. Buying a nice USA produced knife like that from a reputable maker would be thousands of dollars. With that said, there are way better performing knives out there for much less. A $15 Mora or cheap Schrade will give you more mileage and performance. Nice video man, love your work.
Your also can get other really good D2 or VG10 steel knives for a few dollars more. Also Chinese but really good quality. I have some Kubey folding knives with D2 steel and I'm impressed with the quality.
These things can sometimes make a fun project. I was given a cheap damascus chef’s knife, a few years ago. I reground it, to make it thinner, and it ended up being a decent blade.
I got a pocket knife produced by Komwero. It has a VG10 steel core and ball bearings. If you pay just a little more (it cost 46 dollars) you can get some really nice stuff. The Chinese are really catching up just like the Japanese in the 70s with their products.
I bought one of their knives last year, before I even knew this channel existed. It's a longer karambit, with a full tang and a rosewood handle, properly pinned. It was the same price as this one, and I was fairly pleased with it, though I had some concerns. For starters, I could easily tell it was real damascus. But someone hit it with a grinder in places to get at some uncomfortable edges that bit into the hand and wrist. I'm fairly certain this is the reason, as they missed a spot right next to where they ground off the pattern. I had to file it back some more myself, and I'll probably dismantle the whole thing and etch it again. The handle is beautiful and comfortable, though the scales doesn't quite lay flush on the tang, and I'll probably fix that myself too. It has six brass pins holding it together, but a couple look so ground down that I'd hardly call them riveted. And the sheath is clearly made of scrap leather glued together, though I'm actually quite fond of this. I hate wasted leather, and it still looks lovely, same style as this one. I don't expect a shipped knife to be work ready, and don't mind putting in a little love. When the weather clears, I look forward to using my knife for wood carving. Overall, I always felt I got my money's worth, and I feel quite confident in that thanks to this video, so thank you very much!
I was expecting some kind of agressive/condescending review, and I'm happy to see a honest and positive review. It's indeed an excellent base to modify for learners.
Good summary! I used to make knives for a living in the uk. The Indian Damascus “ souvenir” grade knives do suck a lot of money and attention away from makers , but I think , like yourself they pose no threat to serious makers or buyers . I whole heartedly agree they are cool if you take them for what they are . Souvenirs from a sweatshop in India .
I always wondered what's inside these pretty knockoffs and how they can be made and marketed surprisingly cheap. I didn't have the heart to destroy one I tried out, despite its cheapo price, so you saved me 35+ bucks! However as you showed, for me sharpening this supposed 1095 blade was actually a very frustrating time wasting experience. Mine was probably haphazardly heat treated being "soft" in various spots. So now I use it to open coconuts and save my real knives.
$35 though - Amazed you can get any kind of functional pattern welded steel knife for that to be fair - I bought some cheap damascus billets of similar origin to play with and can confirm their welds are not up to par, had to forge weld up a few delaminations - Great practise for when I get to the real deal though!
Great review, you gave credit where it was due and did not sugar coat the negatives. I don't know how they even sale the sheath for $35 Love your videos, educational for me as a knife maker and fun to watch. Thank you!!
I read that main reason other places can make things so cheap is that each time workers demand and gain another right, it costs more to make things. Over time US workers have gotten so many rights that it costs a fortune to employ them. Of course being a worker with no worker rights would be a miserable, dangerous, poverty-stricken life...
@@joejones9520 I guess it’s all relative to what you can buy for 35 dollars ha ha. If you can buy the same amount with that that I can for 100 in the states I guess it’s a wash
@@joejones9520 Cost of living is higher in most first world countries and differences in regulations can influence the cost of manufacturing a given item.
Im surprised how "good" yours was! I couldnt get a decent edge on mine. Maybe I was having an off day👍 or maybe the extra $10 made a difference😉one thing i didn't mention with mine was the tang was welded on too. That being said the tang was the best built part of the knife😂 loved the video and your thoughts at the end👍👍
you definitely should buy another one of these, take it apart and reprofile the blade, weld a thicker tang on, heat treat it properly, hand sand it and reassemble it properly then test it head to head vs how they come.
Very cool video idea. Perfect for someone that always gets mesmerized by watching you doing these stunning damascus art pieces, but that has no $10.000 lying around for buying an actual Royer Knife. I might get myself one of these if I need a fancy knife on a budget. As always thanks for the video Kyle ;) !
@@KyleRoyerKnives That was in jest. I am a traditionalist, with recognition of the value you offer through your perfectionist attitude towards your work. I follow other TH-camrs knife makers, but you stand at the top of the total dedication to workmanship pyramid. Simply put. your work comes first, TH-cam after. May you always find smooth sailing in your everlasting journey towards perfection.
@@BenoitMassicotte Old comment perhaps, but if you see this check out Freerk Wieringa - his work is excellent for the same reasons you mention here, but he is just beginning his journey into the craft so it is always wonderful to see what he does. No speaking, full length build videos, excellent content. And Kyle, if you see this, beautiful work as always. I really appreciate seeing someone of your caliber posting your work here for us to enjoy. Love the humor and nerdiness you bring to the videos too ^___^
Thanks for sharing. Perhaps a hardness tester might have been useful before destroying the blade. It could be even used after that to check on the claimed 58-60.
Hey don Glad you’re hanging out with us don How far are you into treatments Hang tough big guy May God bless you and we will pray for those tending to you as well don. Dad
@@KyleRoyerKnives . Right now just finished round 15 of clinical trails of 2 different types of chemo. March 2nd I get another ct scan and round 16 and see if it's working at all.
As a kid I felled quite a few trees with just my Mora knife. I used to hold the knife at the "pommel" end and "whip" with it to get the speed up. You get weaker but faster strike and you can keep doing it longer.
A friend of mine got one of these just to see how good it was. We peeled it completely apart with no problem at all. It wasn't really welded together at all I don't know how it was stuck together
Awesome review. About time someone did a proper review on these knives. You are right though for 35 bucks for Damascus knife with a sheath pretty good deal.
I really appreciate your sense of humor. Nice to know it's not ALL business at the Master level. Very fun video!!! Would love to see it in pieces on the table with you asking "Will it KEEL?" Maybe if one of the pieces gets in someone's eye and a horrible infection sets in and causes death 3 months later??? MAYBE???🙄
Cody Wheeler and I did the same with different results and posted a video. We got some HUGE delams and found our blade to be pretty much unhardened. Just a lot of variances I guess. We had to harden the steel to break it as it just bent.
Nice knife for $35. It's not something I'd trust my life to, but it's better than I'd have expected. I can sharpen a knife if it it'll hold an edge. The handle LOOKS nice. The way it broke makes me wonder if that's not a layered steel with crappy metal for a core parlayed with a thin Damascus sheet and then forge welded. I'd prefer a full tang knife, though.
As a Damascus Smith I am not sure the break not being clean is a bad thing. There are obvious quality issues with the knife but as I was taught way back in the 70's beyond being pretty the advantage of Damascus is the difference in mechanical properties of the different layers. That being true, good Damascus should not break clean. If it does it shows the steel has been homogenized and does not have the mechanical difference which gives superior strength.
Man, I was watching your sword making vid and your name suddenly rang a bell...yeah, indeed you are the same Kyle I drooled already a decade ago over your first works ...so now you are here! Amazing...subscribed, gonna take a deep dive in your channel. What a great find, saludos desde España maestro!
I think that knife is worth a couple hundred now just having Kyle run it on the grinder... I was looking at a Pakistan knife recently, and in one part of the description it said it was 1095, but elsewhere it said 4340... Which makes more sense they would be using old concrete saw blades or whatever..
just curious why do you specifically run knives on a honing steel? I thought they were used to push chef knives back into a usable edge after a day of hard use
I'm absolutely new to your channel (this is only the second video I've watched) and have subscribed. I was about to ask some hard questions on your evaluation (such as how much do you charge for your knives compared to $34.99). Most people don't bend their knives in a vice, chop a 2x4 in two then try to shave, or beat the handle with a hammer. I was also about to say why not re-grind the bevel then re-sharpen. Given all the shortcomings (sheath tab on wrong side, hollow handle, welded tang) it was only a $34.99 knife. Then you redeemed it all by saying that the test had been extreme and for $34.99 it was a pretty good knife. I liked that you gave credit for it being true Damascus. I look forward to watching your videos and really liked the Damascus blank you made for the symposium in Australia.
After all, some people are going to buy Walmart knives no matter what. Those of us that prefer "Real Craftsmanship" like your work, Kyle, are willing to spend a considerable amount more not just for the quality, but for the craftsmanship that was put into the creation. The test was great, as I did the same thing because I ask myself "How in the world is this guy (on Amazon) selling this bad ass looking damascus (pattern welded) knife for less than my raw materials cost. Well, same story. The mosaic pins were inlays, the entire tang was not the same steel as the blade ect...ect... Great Review Kyle. I super enjoy watching your videos. Kudos to your son too, by the way, what a fantastic artist!! (Oh, my cheap damascus cost me $85)
Is welding the tan on really so bad? I mean often knife makers leave the tang soft. I agree it should be the same steel, but it is hidden, and a weld is very strong.
One possible material source for the blade is surplus steel multi stranded cable, heated red hot and hammer forged to a basic shape, ground to shape and acid etched.
I've found a safe bet is two to three times the cost of the cheap stuff is a good place to start. For instance, if you find a $20 POS knife you like, look for something similar that costs $60. Thats usually where good quality for a fair price seems to start. Not always a guarantee though, sometimes real quality starts at 4-5 times the cheapest.
@@KyleRoyerKnives how much do your knifes that are affordable cost? Same with your swords meaning like nothing fancy no gold inlay and the like something that the average person could afford after a little saving up I know your work can get $5,000 plus easily
@11:50 yeah the whole thing delaminated across the middle and spalled off to one side. I agree the grain didnt look terrible most of the way through but the dark spots were concerning and yeah it looked like there were some impurities or something between the core layers. And the tang and handle was just horrifying
Similar knives with proper heat treatment and good handles sell at a local market for 3 to 4 hundred dollars so this looks surprisingly decent ( for the price)
I bought one that was 60 bucks. Looked good at first but had slight surface rust after only 2 months. Never got it sharp to my liking. And felt cheap as hell. But it did look good to people who don't know knives.
When felling trees with a knife. Instead having the whole handle in the hand, hold the knife at the rear of the handle (pommel) with just the thumb and the index fingers and kind of whip it you can just keep going for a long time then. Felled alot of trees with mora knives as a kid, 5 inch trees are no problem.
"Now, we're going to hack at this 2x4 and make sure the handle doesn't break..." proceeds to tickle 2x4 with knife blade. "Wow, that's some sturdy construction!"
*chuckles* don't knock the shovel :) on a boring day of planting trees when I was young my mate and I sharpened the sides of our shovels and cut down a tree. (sharpen the shovels normally to help cut through roots)
Interesting to see whats in one of these blades, you see them cheap on a lot of platforms, and I had wondered what they were like. I actually bought a damascus folder cheap on ebay and it is similar quality to this.
Hi Kyle, I saw you're headlining at the Australian Blade Symposium! Won't be able to make it; living in WA makes it expensive to travel all the way across to the Eastern States. Enjoy your time in Aus and we hope you come back for a second visit!
Kyle and I had a lot of fun making this video! It's nice to change it up every once in awhile! :) Let me know what you thought of this fun little video. :D
Also, I (Josh) got inspiration to make this video by watching @OUTDOORS55 hilarious video where he bought a $24.99 Damascus Knife From Ebay. Check it out. th-cam.com/video/UeeE9DyI52w/w-d-xo.html ~Josh Royer
dude from stone to knife sharpener?
I liked it, Josh! Well done. I look forward to you guys having more fun with different formats.
Cool change of pace. Had to like video with the intro being the handle being broke right away lol.
Hi Kyle I always wonted to do this because the question always comes up why is custom knifes so costly and the off the shelf knifes so cheep. Quality Quality Quality hand crafted is always the best as long as you have a quality maker Thanks again Ducky
Bat'Leth !
8:40 I'm genuinely shocked the pattern was real. I was really expecting it to just be etched on the surface.
Yes I was a lil surprised but realise they mass produce this knife from huge billets of cheaply forged "Damascus"
@@thedood7930 well if it's for cheap whole sale, I doubt they'd perfect it
So damascus steel knives on aliexpress : cheaper than 35 dollars are etched , 35 and above are non damascuss core with damascuss deco plates welded on top
Same on amazon with kitchen knives
It's probably just recycled junk steel from a scrap yard heated up and pressed into a sheet
Kyle should buy one of these "knock off" knives and then make his own improved version of it. Then test them side by side.
Definitely. With side-by-side duck sounds, please.
That’s just unnecessary cruelty. Also we’d have to watch Kyle abuse one of his knifes, I couldn’t bare it.
Yesss! I was going to say the same thing! Show us how you would make this knife correctly Kyle :)
Matt Schmidgall when has he NOT shown you how knives should be made? I’ll forgive you if this is your first video, but you only have to go one video back to see how a Master Smith makes a knife. To ask for a comparison of a Royer knife made in a Master Smithery vs a knife made in an Indian or Pakistani knife shop/ livingroom/ kitchen/ dining room/ sleeping quarters is absurd. There is no comparison. Might as well say, “Hey Kyle can you make a knife and test it against an overripe banana!” 🤦♂️😂🤣
His knife would be 100 times the price. For most people it wouldn’t be worth it, especially if you’re going to be rough and abuse it. If you’re rich and want a show piece, that’s a different matter.
I'm actually impressed with what you can get for $35. You literally couldn't buy the raw materials to make that yourself for double the price. Hell, just the leather for the sheath is going to cost you $10. It's a good deal for someone that wants a blade and doesn't care about heirloom quality. Buying a nice USA produced knife like that from a reputable maker would be thousands of dollars.
With that said, there are way better performing knives out there for much less. A $15 Mora or cheap Schrade will give you more mileage and performance. Nice video man, love your work.
Agreed Iron
Good to have you here with us all
Team Royer
That's the wonder of cheap Chinese labor and materials lol
pakistan made
Your also can get other really good D2 or VG10 steel knives for a few dollars more. Also Chinese but really good quality. I have some Kubey folding knives with D2 steel and I'm impressed with the quality.
These things can sometimes make a fun project. I was given a cheap damascus chef’s knife, a few years ago. I reground it, to make it thinner, and it ended up being a decent blade.
I got a pocket knife produced by Komwero. It has a VG10 steel core and ball bearings. If you pay just a little more (it cost 46 dollars) you can get some really nice stuff. The Chinese are really catching up just like the Japanese in the 70s with their products.
I bought one of their knives last year, before I even knew this channel existed. It's a longer karambit, with a full tang and a rosewood handle, properly pinned. It was the same price as this one, and I was fairly pleased with it, though I had some concerns.
For starters, I could easily tell it was real damascus. But someone hit it with a grinder in places to get at some uncomfortable edges that bit into the hand and wrist. I'm fairly certain this is the reason, as they missed a spot right next to where they ground off the pattern. I had to file it back some more myself, and I'll probably dismantle the whole thing and etch it again. The handle is beautiful and comfortable, though the scales doesn't quite lay flush on the tang, and I'll probably fix that myself too. It has six brass pins holding it together, but a couple look so ground down that I'd hardly call them riveted. And the sheath is clearly made of scrap leather glued together, though I'm actually quite fond of this. I hate wasted leather, and it still looks lovely, same style as this one.
I don't expect a shipped knife to be work ready, and don't mind putting in a little love. When the weather clears, I look forward to using my knife for wood carving. Overall, I always felt I got my money's worth, and I feel quite confident in that thanks to this video, so thank you very much!
We found it worth the money
👍🏻☕️🔥⚔️
Dad
Here's an idea Kyle: how about making a knife of your own to fit that sheath? Now that there's an empty sheath lying around...
I was expecting some kind of agressive/condescending review, and I'm happy to see a honest and positive review. It's indeed an excellent base to modify for learners.
Good summary!
I used to make knives for a living in the uk. The Indian Damascus “ souvenir” grade knives do suck a lot of money and attention away from makers , but I think , like yourself they pose no threat to serious makers or buyers . I whole heartedly agree they are cool if you take them for what they are . Souvenirs from a sweatshop in India .
I always wondered what's inside these pretty knockoffs and how they can be made and marketed surprisingly cheap. I didn't have the heart to destroy one I tried out, despite its cheapo price, so you saved me 35+ bucks! However as you showed, for me sharpening this supposed 1095 blade was actually a very frustrating time wasting experience. Mine was probably haphazardly heat treated being "soft" in various spots. So now I use it to open coconuts and save my real knives.
They are cheap Pakistani Damast knifes and are as hard as frozen butter. Go figure.
$35 though - Amazed you can get any kind of functional pattern welded steel knife for that to be fair - I bought some cheap damascus billets of similar origin to play with and can confirm their welds are not up to par, had to forge weld up a few delaminations - Great practise for when I get to the real deal though!
Great review, you gave credit where it was due and did not sugar coat the negatives. I don't know how they even sale the sheath for $35
Love your videos, educational for me as a knife maker and fun to watch. Thank you!!
Thanks Nicholas. I guess low cost of living. Lowest bidder works. 😆
The knife still has value.
Cheers.
Team Royer
I read that main reason other places can make things so cheap is that each time workers demand and gain another right, it costs more to make things. Over time US workers have gotten so many rights that it costs a fortune to employ them. Of course being a worker with no worker rights would be a miserable, dangerous, poverty-stricken life...
@@joejones9520 I guess it’s all relative to what you can buy for 35 dollars ha ha. If you can buy the same amount with that that I can for 100 in the states I guess it’s a wash
@@joejones9520 Cost of living is higher in most first world countries and differences in regulations can influence the cost of manufacturing a given item.
Im surprised how "good" yours was! I couldnt get a decent edge on mine. Maybe I was having an off day👍 or maybe the extra $10 made a difference😉one thing i didn't mention with mine was the tang was welded on too. That being said the tang was the best built part of the knife😂 loved the video and your thoughts at the end👍👍
Hey 55
Thanks for the shout out
Team Royer
Have you ever considered doing a Forged in Fire challenge, as in with tight time constraints?
You can check out this video where Kyle make a knife out of a hammer in less than 3 hours. th-cam.com/video/P8rcN37js7A/w-d-xo.html
you definitely should buy another one of these, take it apart and reprofile the blade, weld a thicker tang on, heat treat it properly, hand sand it and reassemble it properly then test it head to head vs how they come.
This proves to me. For the money this is actually a pretty nice knife. Thanks.
Very cool video idea. Perfect for someone that always gets mesmerized by watching you doing these stunning damascus art pieces, but that has no $10.000 lying around for buying an actual Royer Knife. I might get myself one of these if I need a fancy knife on a budget. As always thanks for the video Kyle ;) !
You actually made me want to buy this knife,and mod the handle. Way better value than I thought.
Good idea Benoit. Go for it my friend
👍🏻☕️🔥⚔️
Dad
@@KyleRoyerKnives That was in jest. I am a traditionalist, with recognition of the value you offer through your perfectionist attitude towards your work. I follow other TH-camrs knife makers, but you stand at the top of the total dedication to workmanship pyramid. Simply put. your work comes first, TH-cam after. May you always find smooth sailing in your everlasting journey towards perfection.
@@BenoitMassicotte Old comment perhaps, but if you see this check out Freerk Wieringa - his work is excellent for the same reasons you mention here, but he is just beginning his journey into the craft so it is always wonderful to see what he does. No speaking, full length build videos, excellent content.
And Kyle, if you see this, beautiful work as always. I really appreciate seeing someone of your caliber posting your work here for us to enjoy. Love the humor and nerdiness you bring to the videos too ^___^
I love at like 2:30 when the guy behind him was like ‘dammit Kyle’s back on his bullshit’
If they could sell it for that price and actually make a profit could you imagine the quality of the knife if they added $20 it could have real gold
It was probably made in a country where $300.00 per year is a good wage !
@@davedavis3873 classic price subsidised with human suffering
@@davedavis3873 Pakistan tends to make a lot of cheap damascus knives.
Legend has it, the ground up bones of a sweatshop worker is used as filler for the epoxy.
You gave that so much abuse, but gave it a hugely fair review.
I'd guess , even the Amazon seller would be happy.
Dude, I love hearing how your mom supported your passion.
Thanks for sharing. Perhaps a hardness tester might have been useful before destroying the blade. It could be even used after that to check on the claimed 58-60.
Good point my friend. However the goal was to see what it would take to destroy the knife. Good times
Dad
2:52 The look on his dads face is just glorious! 🤣
👍🏻☕️🔥⚔️
Dad
I wonder if it would be worth getting one and redoing the heat treat properly.
Realistic, down to earth review.....hell, you can't even buy $35.00 with $35.00 nowadays!........
Can the heating process be redone to make these knives any better once they're at this stage?
I'm here getting chemo and dying laughing Kyle. Made my day. Such a deal for 34.99 lol thank god we make real knives! God Bless
Hey don
Glad you’re hanging out with us don
How far are you into treatments
Hang tough big guy
May God bless you and we will pray for those tending to you as well don.
Dad
@@KyleRoyerKnives . Right now just finished round 15 of clinical trails of 2 different types of chemo. March 2nd I get another ct scan and round 16 and see if it's working at all.
@@KyleRoyerKnives . God Bless and thank ya kindly.
I was really surprised. Honestly if you just want something that looks pretty and is relatively cheap this isn’t half bad.
👍🏻🔥⚔️
Copy that BW
Team Royer
I mean.... It's not terrible for being so cheap.....
Great video bro. I really enjoyed watching this. 👍👍
Kyle roger? Reminds of that scene from captain america civil war, "are you Tony Stank?"
As a kid I felled quite a few trees with just my Mora knife. I used to hold the knife at the "pommel" end and "whip" with it to get the speed up. You get weaker but faster strike and you can keep doing it longer.
seems like an amazing deal for 40 bucks shipped across the world to your house. Doubt you could buy the materials for that price.
Can you please make a series, where you review low and medium budget knives like that? It would be very popular!
Thanks Chris
Team Royer
And they always market every type of knife as 'custom handmade damascus hunting.....'
Yeah, I love it when they call a karambit or dagger a “hunting” knife!
This was awesome, I've bought a few folding knives like this for some friends, it's nice to know that they are real but you get what you pay for
A friend of mine got one of these just to see how good it was. We peeled it completely apart with no problem at all. It wasn't really welded together at all I don't know how it was stuck together
Awesome review. About time someone did a proper review on these knives. You are right though for 35 bucks for Damascus knife with a sheath pretty good deal.
Good deal
Good times indeed
Glad you’re enjoying the vids
Dad
it looks pretty good. might make for a decent bit of decoration for a nook in the living room, or as a prop in the next D&D session...
I really appreciate your sense of humor. Nice to know it's not ALL business at the Master level.
Very fun video!!!
Would love to see it in pieces on the table with you asking "Will it KEEL?"
Maybe if one of the pieces gets in someone's eye and a horrible infection sets in and causes death 3 months later??? MAYBE???🙄
Good times Matt
Glad you enjoy the vids
Dad
Might as well pop the stitches on that sheath and see what the welt is made of. ;)
Cody Wheeler and I did the same with different results and posted a video. We got some HUGE delams and found our blade to be pretty much unhardened. Just a lot of variances I guess. We had to harden the steel to break it as it just bent.
th-cam.com/video/pwVBFxtzXEA/w-d-xo.html
A very good reason why it’s always better to purchase full tang that is visible!
Very informative. Love it!
For the price it is absolutely stunning. I would just use this thing for light work like cutting apples and fruits, and just keep it on display
Nice knife for $35. It's not something I'd trust my life to, but it's better than I'd have expected. I can sharpen a knife if it it'll hold an edge. The handle LOOKS nice.
The way it broke makes me wonder if that's not a layered steel with crappy metal for a core parlayed with a thin Damascus sheet and then forge welded.
I'd prefer a full tang knife, though.
As a Damascus Smith I am not sure the break not being clean is a bad thing. There are obvious quality issues with the knife but as I was taught way back in the 70's beyond being pretty the advantage of Damascus is the difference in mechanical properties of the different layers. That being true, good Damascus should not break clean. If it does it shows the steel has been homogenized and does not have the mechanical difference which gives superior strength.
The knife is worth the money
Merry Christmas my friend
Dad
Man, I was watching your sword making vid and your name suddenly rang a bell...yeah, indeed you are the same Kyle I drooled already a decade ago over your first works ...so now you are here! Amazing...subscribed, gonna take a deep dive in your channel. What a great find, saludos desde España maestro!
Indeed Chzoronzon
That’s pretty neat
Fun to have you with us
Cheers
Team Royer
@@KyleRoyerKnives Thanks! but wait...it wasn't a decade ago, it was two! My lord, where's my fading youth? ibb.co/qgCBdjb
I think that knife is worth a couple hundred now just having Kyle run it on the grinder... I was looking at a Pakistan knife recently, and in one part of the description it said it was 1095, but elsewhere it said 4340... Which makes more sense they would be using old concrete saw blades or whatever..
just curious why do you specifically run knives on a honing steel? I thought they were used to push chef knives back into a usable edge after a day of hard use
I just ordered one. Thanks to this video I might as well return mine already :)
I'm absolutely new to your channel (this is only the second video I've watched) and have subscribed. I was about to ask some hard questions on your evaluation (such as how much do you charge for your knives compared to $34.99). Most people don't bend their knives in a vice, chop a 2x4 in two then try to shave, or beat the handle with a hammer. I was also about to say why not re-grind the bevel then re-sharpen. Given all the shortcomings (sheath tab on wrong side, hollow handle, welded tang) it was only a $34.99 knife. Then you redeemed it all by saying that the test had been extreme and for $34.99 it was a pretty good knife. I liked that you gave credit for it being true Damascus. I look forward to watching your videos and really liked the Damascus blank you made for the symposium in Australia.
I enjoyed your video. You gave a fair assessment of the knife.
After watching the whole video that knife is badass and one hell of a bargain I want one
May the forge be with you!!!??? 😱😱😱 thats the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard!
Doug Marcaida has left his mark on the blade community.
Doug is proud!
After all, some people are going to buy Walmart knives no matter what. Those of us that prefer "Real Craftsmanship" like your work, Kyle, are willing to spend a considerable amount more not just for the quality, but for the craftsmanship that was put into the creation. The test was great, as I did the same thing because I ask myself "How in the world is this guy (on Amazon) selling this bad ass looking damascus (pattern welded) knife for less than my raw materials cost.
Well, same story. The mosaic pins were inlays, the entire tang was not the same steel as the blade ect...ect...
Great Review Kyle. I super enjoy watching your videos. Kudos to your son too, by the way, what a fantastic artist!!
(Oh, my cheap damascus cost me $85)
Hey thanks Mark for chiming in
Team Royer
take one and make it better. i know the tang isnt an easily fixable issue but this is Kyle Royer
Is welding the tan on really so bad? I mean often knife makers leave the tang soft. I agree it should be the same steel, but it is hidden, and a weld is very strong.
Could you try normalising the steel in one of these cheap Damascus knifes and forge/make a good knife out of it?
This was pretty entertaining. You make some of the most beautiful stuff I've ever seen. Keep it up bro!
One possible material source for the blade is surplus steel multi stranded cable, heated red hot and hammer forged to a basic shape, ground to shape and acid etched.
Thank god you tested it.
I was gonna buy one to fell some trees on my back yard.
You know your metals.
Nice Video.
.
So much info given and learned. When does price reflect quality without getting ripped off? Keep up the great work.
I've found a safe bet is two to three times the cost of the cheap stuff is a good place to start. For instance, if you find a $20 POS knife you like, look for something similar that costs $60. Thats usually where good quality for a fair price seems to start. Not always a guarantee though, sometimes real quality starts at 4-5 times the cheapest.
I hand make Damascus in a coke forge with a hammer and no press. My start price is £300 for a random pattern. I’d consider that to be cheap
Keep this series up and people will think you're a competative swimmer or a crossdresser
because.. you know.. the lack of leg hair...
The knife looked nice , Is very sad to see it get destroyed
Good review Kyle, would love to see more videos like this as there's alot bs knives claiming to be customs
great inspection.
I've bought a few blades from that specific seller on Amazon actually, and they aren't bad for the price.
Can be used as a movie props ! Nice take apart for everyone’s benefits !
It’s worth the money
Cheers
Dad
you should make more videos like this one, it was awesome!!!!
We might.... ;) :P ~ Josh
Stood up way better than I expected.
Tbf you can’t expect any more for $35… I’d actually say for the money that was an incredible knife
That's what I was thinking. I'm not sure why the knife was compared to one that would have costed hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
"I'm seing stuff I would never aprove of" says a man who makes $10.000 knives about a chinese $35 one.. ;)
Hey S. We said it was worth it’s price 👍🏻🔥☕️🗡😆😉🤙🏻😷
Dad
I think his knives are more like $10,000. $10.000 seems a bit low for his amazing quality.
Just another good reason for the entire world to boycott China and anything they make
theyre usually from Pakistan, I thought this one was but maybe I missed something.
@@KyleRoyerKnives how much do your knifes that are affordable cost? Same with your swords meaning like nothing fancy no gold inlay and the like something that the average person could afford after a little saving up
I know your work can get $5,000 plus easily
But does it KIIIIIIIIIILL?!.... i laughed so hard!... ;))
It will ‘probably’ keeeeeeeeeeeeel
Dad
@@KyleRoyerKnives hope you paid copyrights to forged in fire... 😎 🏴☠️🤪
@11:50 yeah the whole thing delaminated across the middle and spalled off to one side. I agree the grain didnt look terrible most of the way through but the dark spots were concerning and yeah it looked like there were some impurities or something between the core layers. And the tang and handle was just horrifying
Maybe a stupid question but what would be the (estimated) cost for a good one?
Similar knives with proper heat treatment and good handles sell at a local market for 3 to 4 hundred dollars so this looks surprisingly decent ( for the price)
A knife without good steel is like a Ferrari with a trash motor. Just doesn't do what it's supposed to do
Hi Kyle, thanks for the valueable knowledge.
Glad you’re here my friend 👍🏻☕️🔥⚔️
Dad
There are plastic toy blades that's more expensive than that blade. Very impressed for that price.
I bought one that was 60 bucks. Looked good at first but had slight surface rust after only 2 months. Never got it sharp to my liking. And felt cheap as hell. But it did look good to people who don't know knives.
When felling trees with a knife. Instead having the whole handle in the hand, hold the knife at the rear of the handle (pommel) with just the thumb and the index fingers and kind of whip it you can just keep going for a long time then. Felled alot of trees with mora knives as a kid, 5 inch trees are no problem.
7:30 Of course it doesn't shave anymore, you're out of hair to shave, LOL!
Henrik Yngvesson 😂
😂
"Now, we're going to hack at this 2x4 and make sure the handle doesn't break..." proceeds to tickle 2x4 with knife blade. "Wow, that's some sturdy construction!"
And the man who made it got paid 50 cents
More than likely.
I love watching these kinda tests and reviews keep em up man
The duck sound before the file sounds really got me. Well played
For $35 just the sheeth alone makes it worth, honestly did a lot better than I expected it
Indeed
It’s worth the money
Very helpful. Thx!
Hitting the wood with the shovel ☠️☠️☠️😂😂😂
If you're wondering the difference between mass made and master made, the comment, "I couldn't even sharpen a knife for $35" says it all.
14:19 I'm mesmerized by the mechanical pencil. Would love to know what it is
@Adam B Thank you very much!
*chuckles* don't knock the shovel :) on a boring day of planting trees when I was young my mate and I sharpened the sides of our shovels and cut down a tree. (sharpen the shovels normally to help cut through roots)
For the money I’d be happy with it just for art piece!
I wanted to get one of Poshland's dirks at one point. I kinda shy away from rat tail tangs like that though.
A fair and honest review
thank you
Hey you’re welcome Dump
Glad you’re here
Interesting to see whats in one of these blades, you see them cheap on a lot of platforms, and I had wondered what they were like. I actually bought a damascus folder cheap on ebay and it is similar quality to this.
Love the way, at the kill test, how your dad walks through the back, stop and watches :cD
Hi Kyle,
I saw you're headlining at the Australian Blade Symposium! Won't be able to make it; living in WA makes it expensive to travel all the way across to the Eastern States. Enjoy your time in Aus and we hope you come back for a second visit!
Hey thanks A. J.
Appreciate the shout out
Team Royer