Robert Mayo Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 I made this small santoku for my wife for our aniversary. It was forged from a billet of damascus that i got from Ray Rogers thanks Ray. I started with a piece of steel about 6" long, 3/4" wide and about 3/8" thick half of the billet after cleaning it up. Blade material 1080/15N20 and nickel damascus. Handle has a sterling silver hilt with water buffalo spacer and a piece of stabilized oak from Ray's yard sale. The overall length is 10 1/2" with a 6" blade to the hilt and 1 3/8" wide. Your opinions and comments are always welcome thanks for looking. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucegodlesky Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Beautiful piece Bob! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markb Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 WOW, clean and simple. Wish I could do that. Great detail. When I first saw the blade, I thought, oil on water. I'm sure your wife will be very pleased. Happy aniversary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Mayo Posted February 10, 2009 Author Share Posted February 10, 2009 Thanks fellows she is a very happy lady. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Very nice , as I have come to always expect from Your shop Bob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Mayo Posted February 10, 2009 Author Share Posted February 10, 2009 Thanks Steve i have learned a lot from all the folks so willing to share what they know on the forums. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad J Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 That is way nice, now if i can only get mine to do that....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strantor Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 very nice. I have never worked with damascus; when you make a damascus blade, do you run into problems with (say, during sharpening) where one metal wears away quicker and you end up with ridges rather than a smooth surface? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Mayo Posted February 11, 2009 Author Share Posted February 11, 2009 very nice. I have never worked with damascus; when you make a damascus blade, do you run into problems with (say, during sharpening) where one metal wears away quicker and you end up with ridges rather than a smooth surface? Through the forging process the carbon migrates through the steel exept the pure nickel and both the other steels are high carbon so the little nickel that is there will have little to no efect other than it's value for looks in this type of knife. My personal preference for a hard use knife is a mono steel. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcraigl Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Strantor, Some bladesmiths claim that the micro serrations created on the edge of the knife from the exact process you described actually make the blades cut BETTER, than a mono steel blade. They are generally such minor variations that you can't see them, the blade "looks" like mono-steel at the edge where it's sharpened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Mayo Posted February 11, 2009 Author Share Posted February 11, 2009 Strantor, Some bladesmiths claim that the micro serrations created on the edge of the knife from the exact process you described actually make the blades cut BETTER, than a mono steel blade. They are generally such minor variations that you can't see them, the blade "looks" like mono-steel at the edge where it's sharpened. All blades look like mono steel on the edge when sharpened but the serrations depend on what grit it is sharpened to and if it is a polished edge. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minaraimono Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 One option, if you don't love the idea of (A) having potential variations in carbon distribution and/or ( having a less exact idea of the composition of the material, is to laminate a single layer of steel at the core of the blade (steel section is usually about 1/3 the width of the billet). Its the favorite technique in Japan and since this is a Japanese-esque blade, I thought i might mention it. Here is an example of a single-bevel kitchen knife I made using a nickle/wrought iron damascus fire-welded to a single layer of Hitachi white #1. This way the nickle doesnt end up at the blades edge at all, but we still get the high contrast of its layers. But your piece is really hansom. The only other thing that comes to mind is: to my eye the blade line should either be a little more straight, or a little more evenly curved. Really minor though. I could point out at least as major flaws with the knife in the photo I attached. Nice job. PS sorry the photo quality isn't better. I had to push the contrast in photoshop so you could see the steel section and it all looks a little funny now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Kong bon wa Isee nothing funny about your photo at all. Wonderfull look to that blade, as well as its mounting, Minaraimono-dono Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Mayo Posted February 12, 2009 Author Share Posted February 12, 2009 One option, if you don't love the idea of (A) having potential variations in carbon distribution and/or ( having a less exact idea of the composition of the material, is to laminate a single layer of steel at the core of the blade (steel section is usually about 1/3 the width of the billet). Its the favorite technique in Japan and since this is a Japanese-esque blade, I thought i might mention it. Here is an example of a single-bevel kitchen knife I made using a nickle/wrought iron damascus fire-welded to a single layer of Hitachi white #1. This way the nickle doesnt end up at the blades edge at all, but we still get the high contrast of its layers. But your piece is really hansom. The only other thing that comes to mind is: to my eye the blade line should either be a little more straight, or a little more evenly curved. Really minor though. I could point out at least as major flaws with the knife in the photo I attached. Nice job. PS sorry the photo quality isn't better. I had to push the contrast in photoshop so you could see the steel section and it all looks a little funny now. I am familiar with san mai blades and that is a fine example you have made i just do my own thing for my own look. Thank you for commenting and posting the photo. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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