About Damascus Steel Knives
The reputation of Damascus steel blades for quality stems back to medieval times. Although the chemistry behind high quality steel is well known, the exact means by which Damascus blades were made has been lost to history. In the modern era, this reputation for strength and durability survives in a string of modern knife designs. Damascus steel can be found in folding knives, combat knives, and even kitchen cutlery.
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History
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Damascus steel was a high quality steel used in blades between the 12th and 18th Centuries. It was famed for making strong swords that could be honed to razor sharpness, allowing them to break other, inferior blades. It is reputed that Damascus blades could even cut rocks. Exactly how this steel was made has been lost to history, and can only be guessed at today.
Theories/Speculation
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One explanation for the durability of Damascus steel is that the process, derived from Persian methods, accidentally allowed the iron to retain certain trace elements that increased its strength. Another is that the patterned surface of Damascus blades represents an alternating set of rigid and flexible bands of iron. It is also not known why the process for making the original Damascus steel was lost. One possible explanation is that the source of the iron ore used in making it, complete with the appropriate trace elements, was exhausted.
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Features
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The most common means of making a Damascus knife today is called pattern welding. This is a process by which multiple layers of metal are folded together by means of forge welding. The process produces a blade that combines hardness and flexibility, the classic elements for a knife or sword. It also creates the beautiful wavy pattern characteristic of a medieval Damascus blade.
Function
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Given their strength, the main use for a Damascus steel knife is in either combat, or as a heavy duty tool. If you have something tough to cut, having a Damascus steel knife is not a bad idea. Knives of this type are made by Case, Boker, and Remington, among others. There are also kitchen cutlery made in the Damascus style, but obvious these are made more for decorative than practical reasons. Few tasks in the kitchen require a knife that could potentially cut iron.
Warning
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Modern Damascus knives are not made in the same way as the medieval Damascus blades. The reasons for this are obvious, as no one knows exactly how those blades were made. Anyone claiming to have a classically made Damascus knife that is not a archaeological relic is exaggerating at best, and lying at worst.
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