Famous Damascus steel. What qualities did these amazing blades have? What is the secret of ancient technology? Damascus for its time was a revolutionary breakthrough in the creation of high-strength metal and new technology. The legendary swords that cut the silk scarf had extraordinary sharpness. Isn't this a myth? The twenty-first century forge is the realm of traditional technology. The principle of creation has not changed for centuries. The main elements of this production: open fire, hammer, anvil, blacksmith skill. A sign of new times in the blacksmith profession is the raw materials. In the old days, artisans mined ore themselves, then processed it into metal. Modern blacksmiths, as a rule, operate steel with alloying additives. These impurities give the metal its individual characteristics.
The superiority of Damascus steel over all other alloys is a common myth. Scientists believe that this is a figment of the imagination of writers of the early nineteenth century. In historical novels of that time, Damascus blades had miraculous properties. They cut through like butter. Historians and metal scientists refute these legends. Ancient Damascus would hardly be able to withstand modern steel. However, it was somewhat simpler in chemical composition and the steels that were used in it were not so interesting. The “Damascus” that today’s craftsmen create is, as a rule, the use of initially high-strength steels with good characteristics.
Nevertheless, the “Damascus” of its time was indeed distinguished by its high strength and flexibility. This combination made Damascus steel an excellent weapon. The secret is in a special alloy.
In its pure form, iron is a very soft metal and is not suitable. Therefore, people use alloys - compounds of iron with other chemical elements. An essential component of these compounds is carbon. It gives the alloy hardness. For example, usually in a nail, carbon contains hundredths of a percent (0.06-0.16%) of the total metal. And in railway rails it is from 0.5 to 0.7%. Iron alloys containing less than 2.14% carbon are called steel. After special heat treatment, it acquires another important quality - elasticity.
The main secret of the Damascus production technology is a multi-layer blank, which consists of alloys with different carbon contents. Damascus steel is one of the first composite, that is, composite, materials in history. “Damascus” is a welding technology that involves diffusion bringing together layers of two, three or more steels by pressure. The main part of the package, which consists of carbon-rich steels, gives Damascus special hardness. The source of elasticity of the future product is alloying additives and iron. Thus, alternating layers of metal with very high and very low carbon content gave the new material: hardness, elasticity and impact strength (resistance to impact loads).
Traces of this cocktail can be seen with the naked eye. The characteristic pattern on the Damascus blade is an optical effect of uneven distribution of carbon. “Damascus” has its own unique “face”, its own design, its own beauty in iron. Homogeneous material, even in color, is not so interesting. As a rule, it is painted, or to create some kind of image.
The high qualities of a particular Damascus steel blade are established at the initial stage. There is no perfect recipe for creating a “package”. The selection of source materials, their proportions, the principle of combination, in ancient times, any of the elements of this process, was the secret of the master, the foundation of the superiority of his weapons.
Made of Damascus steel - a source of pride for any hunter. Thanks to manufacturing technology, such a tool cuts the hardest natural materials and fabrics. It holds an edge well. However, the product of these masters is rarely used for its intended purpose. The main function of their steel works is decorative.
There are many opinions about Damascus steel. Someone claims that her recipe is lost. And when you say that it’s Damascus steel, they look at you with a smile and leave. Others haven’t heard much about it at all, and ask ridiculous questions: “What is this drawn with?” or “Why isn’t the blade polished?”
Of course, in fairness, it should be noted that from year to year there are fewer and fewer ignorant people (especially in the city of Moscow). Once a person uses a knife made of high-quality Damascus once, he will never purchase a knife made of any other steel.
In terms of cutting properties, high-quality Damascus steel is several times superior to other grades of steel (be it 65X13, 440C, 95X18). Its only drawback is that it rusts. Therefore, she needs constant care. I worked with a knife - wiped it dry, greased it with neutral oil or grease and put it away. If rusty spots suddenly appear on the steel, they need to be removed with very fine sandpaper and oil, or better yet, kerosene. In principle, caring for such a knife is no more than caring for a gun with non-chrome-plated bores. All the troubles are compensated by excellent cutting properties (which cannot be compared with any stainless steel: both domestic and imported). Let’s look at the secret of the cutting properties of Damascus steel. Firstly, in manufacturing technology. Damascus is made as follows. It is obtained as a result of a long technological process, performed only by hand. The basis is taken from several types of steel (both hard and soft), which are assembled in a certain sequence to form a package (We do not name steel grades, because the secret of good Damascus steel lies precisely in the correct selection and proportions of various metals). A prerequisite is that more hard steels are used than soft ones. The steel package is placed in the forge and heated to forging temperature. After this, special additives are applied to prevent the formation of oxides that prevent plates of different types from welding together. Next, the package is punched several times with a hammer and sent to the forge to be warmed up for welding. As soon as the package is warmed up, it settles under the hammer, then it is sent back to the forge and warmed up for subsequent pulling. When the plate is welded and shaped to size, it is heated again and chopped into the required number of plates, which are cleaned of oxide and assembled into a package. The whole process is repeated all over again. The number of repetitions of the process is proportional to the quality of the product, respectively the order. After the welding process, and there can be from three to ten, the plate is unforged to the required blade size. Then the steel is normalized and the workpiece goes into further work. Steel obtained in this way is characterized by increased strength, excellent cutting properties and beauty. Damascus Russian Bulat LLC has 400 layers of metal or more. As a result of the process, a unique pattern appears, as unique as a fingerprint.
Sometimes at exhibitions you hear that a purchased Damascus steel knife quickly became dull. The answer is simple. Either a person bought “Damascus” (i.e., stainless steel 65X13, 95X18 etched in a special way), or he purchased Damascus welded from soft metals. It is much easier and faster to weld such metal. Visually distinguishing it from high-quality Damascus is almost impossible. Soft damascus was previously used to make guns, because... For these purposes, viscosity was required and the cutting properties of the metal were not needed. A knife made of soft Damascus (no matter how beautiful its design may be!) cuts worse than any knife made of stainless steel. When trying to harden such a knife, no matter how hard you try, it is often no harder than 48 units. H.R.C. A knife from the Russian Bulat company has a hardness of at least 60 units. HRC (usually 62-64 HRC units). Some believe that a knife at 64 units. HRC is made brittle.
This is fairly applicable to homogeneous steels (U10, 95X18), but does not apply in any way to correctly forged Damascus. This, of course, does not mean that a knife with a hardness of 64 units. HRC can be bent into a ring! But with limited contact with bones (when cutting an animal), as well as with small chopping blows, this combination of hardness and elasticity is quite sufficient. A good knife steel should not only be hard, but also elastic. Let’s answer the question: “How does a knife become dull?” This happens in two ways. If you look at the cutting edge of a dull knife under a microscope, you can consider two situations:
The cutting edge is bent. (This indicates that the steel is too soft);
The cutting edge has broken off. (This indicates that the steel is too hard.)
While hunting I had to observe the work of a knife made of 95X18 steel. The owner assured that he bought the knife for decent money from one of the famous craftsmen (During the sale, the knife was praised: hardness 70 HRC units, steel taken from a spaceship debris, laser sharpening, etc.). But when the hunt has come to an end, the elk is captured, the owner of the “wonderful knife” approaches the huntsman and offers to work with the knife. After about five minutes, the huntsman politely returns the knife and advises us to buy something better (they say, such a knife is only suitable for cutting lard and sausage!). The owner is offended and tries to butcher the animal himself.
He is surprised to notice that the knife slides and does not cut... And the reason is the following. The knife was truly hardened to extreme hardness. Steel 95X18 is not particularly flexible anyway, but when hardened to more than 60 units. HRC generally loses all elasticity. In this case, when starting work, the cutting edge simply broke off. Moreover, this is not noticeable visually. When I try to sharpen the knife again, everything repeats. Often the cutting edge breaks off during the sharpening process, so a paradox arises: you sharpen the blade, the blade wears off, but the knife is still dull!
The situation is different with mild steel. For example, 40X13. When such a knife becomes dull, the cutting edge bends. It is possible to cut with such a knife if you keep a stone with you for editing - you work a little, shuffle on the stone, work again, shuffle again. This is undoubtedly better than the first case!
The optimal grade of stainless steel is 65X13. Although it is far from quality Damascus. This grade of steel is often called medical steel. For people raised in the Soviet Union, the terms “medical”, “military”, “space” have a magical effect. 65X13 is a good steel for knives. But the term “medical” is difficult to apply to it. Firstly, scalpels from steel 65X13 began to be manufactured only in the late 80s, and before that carbon steels U8, U10 coated with chromium were used.
Secondly, the tasks of a surgeon, who makes very minor incisions during the operation, and a hunter, butchering an elk or a bear, are completely different. In addition, a medical scalpel is not reused during operations (scalpels with disposable removable blades soon appeared). Therefore, the term “medical” steel does not obligate anyone to anything. Although we have been using this steel for inexpensive models for a long time.
Let's return to Damascus steel knives. These knives, manufactured by the Russian Bulat company, were tested by hunters in various parts of the country. 99% give a positive assessment of the knife’s performance. 1% are people who use a knife for other purposes. (For example, there was a gentleman who tried to cut a tractor valve with a knife, another, heavily drunk, threw a knife at a tree, etc.). According to reviews from various hunters, two moose in a row were skinned and butchered with a knife without additional sharpening; five small boars; large cleaver; several beavers. Maslennikov V.S. I personally tried to remove the skin of two moose with a knife from one sharpening point (the knife continued to cut after that!). If you look under magnification at the cutting edge of a Damascus knife after cutting an elk, you will see a micro-saw. It happened due to the fact that the soft steels were slightly crumpled, while the hard ones remained sharp due to the additional viscosity acquired during the forging process. Therefore, when we look at the cutting edge of a knife after prolonged work, the blade shines in places and it seems that the knife has become dull, but when we start cutting, it turns out that the knife cuts no worse than a new one! Even when a Damascus knife becomes completely dull, it is enough to carefully sharpen it with a sharpening stone to restore its cutting properties. This is where the effect of straightening the soft parts of the cutting edge comes into play. After long work, in the winter hut or at a hunting base, the knife needs to be wiped, the cutting edge should be adjusted on a good stone, lubricated with oil and put in a case.
The question that interests many is “Which is better: damascus or damask steel?” What is damascus and what is damask steel? Steel prepared from plates through a forge welding process is commonly called “Damascus.” Steel, melted in a crucible and cooled in a special way, is usually called “damask steel”. There is also an intermediate technology where cast plates are mixed with other steels through forge welding. From a consumer point of view, good damask and good damask steel are one and the same. The same hardness, the same micro-saw effect, also easy to sharpen... Bad damascus and bad damask steel are identical: neither one nor the other will cut! To avoid buying a bad knife, you need to purchase a knife from a reputable company with a quality guarantee.
Now there are many different individual entrepreneurs and new companies that have recently been producing knives. Previously, the organizers of these companies were engaged in everything except metalworking; and have absolutely no understanding of metals. They don’t have the necessary production base, they don’t make blades, but buy them wherever it’s cheaper…. When buying a knife from such companies, it is difficult to hope that it will serve for a long time (although there are no rules without exceptions). Although the prices of many individual entrepreneurs for Damascus knives are quite low (from 900 rubles to 1500 rubles). When purchasing a knife, you should remember that if you follow the technological process, a Damascus steel knife will cost from 2000 rubles. up to 3500 rub. Tempted by cheaper knives, you risk remembering the proverb: “The miser pays twice!” Cast damask steel is somewhat more expensive to manufacture than damascus. Question: “Why does one Damascus knife from the same company cost 3,000 rubles, and another $300?” Expensive knives use end-damascus. What is this, “end Damascus blade”?
Take two, three or four plates of damascus with different patterns, layers and properties. They are welded together along the height of the blade and follow the contour of the cutting edge. What does this give?
This adds beauty to the product (due to beautifully selected three or four patterns);
Allows you to place very hard Damascus with a large amount of hard metal on the cutting edge; soft Damascus is used on the butt of the blade (the same one from which gun barrels were made). Thanks to the combination of these damasks, the strength of the knife increases. The cutting properties of such a blade (albeit not much) increase.
The main effect of end damask is beauty and unique handiwork. The best specialist in end-damascus in Russia is Mr. Arkhangelsky and his daughter Maria. Their prices, of course, are much higher. One more question has to be answered: “How many layers does your damask contain?” We determined for ourselves the optimal price-quality ratio - 400 layers. Even a specialist cannot visually determine the number of layers. As a rule, blacksmiths know how many layers they have forged. A record is kept for each batch of Damascus…. You hear from buyers at the exhibition: “Your Damascus has 400 layers, but your neighbors have 600 layers!” It’s important to remember: it depends on what you layer. You can forge Damascus with 600 layers of nails and it will be worse than Damascus, which has 200 layers of good metal. And one more thing. When forging above 400 layers, it is necessary to change the production process (it is necessary to additionally saturate the metal with carbon, since carbon burns out during the heating process), which significantly increases the cost of the workpiece (and, accordingly, the knife). If a knife with 1000 layers is forged in the same way as with 400 layers, then no matter what metal you take, it will look like metal from tin cans. But if you take this seriously, following the technology, then a knife made of 1000-1500-layer Damascus will be better than a 400-layer one, but its cost should be at least $200.
People often ask: “Which damask is better: with a longitudinal pattern or with a transverse twist?” From a consumer point of view it doesn't matter. Just like mosaic damasks. Only some types of end damascus may differ in working qualities. Often, mosaic damasks are inferior in cutting properties to regular ones. Because Often, in pursuit of a design, little attention is paid to the cutting properties of the metal.
A question often asked at exhibitions: “Does your knife cut nails?” Of course, it’s not very clear why people would chop nails with a knife?! Maybe they are connected with this occupation due to the nature of their work or have mental disabilities... But we will still try to answer this question. Let's say right away that cutting nails is not such a big problem! Knife made of any steel with a hardness of 50 units. HRC will cut a nail on the working part. You just need to change it slightly structurally: the thickness of the blade in the cutting part should be at least 1 mm (thicker is better), and the sharpening angle is at least 45 degrees (thicker is better). Order such a knife and you will be able to chop all the nails you want! Remember that the hardness of a nail is much lower than the hardness of a knife (even from mediocre steel); it’s all about the design of the blade. For Damascus steel, when cutting nails, the thickness of the working part can be made less than 1 mm (up to 0.6 mm), the angle can also be smaller. There are knives that cut paper, then cut the nail (by hitting the butt with a hammer) and then the knife can cut the paper again (though a little worse). In general, if you want to check the quality of the blade on a nail, it is not necessary to cut it. It is enough to plan the nail or make small notches on it. Any knife made of good Damascus steel can easily withstand this operation. We do not take into account knives with a very thin working part from 0.1 m and thinner (for example, fillet knives and an “Uzbek” knife). And yet, we do not recommend doing such experiments with knives, because... We believe that this is not why an adult buys a knife.
Of course, if in an extreme situation you have to use a knife to cut nails, cable or thick wire, that’s a different question. There is no need to do this unless necessary. There are other tools for this (for example: chisels, metal cutters), which are much cheaper than a good knife. With such constant experiments, especially if the objects being cut turn out to be red-hot, your knife will still break. Our company produces knives for hunters, fishermen, tourists, and for lovers of long hikes. The knife can open cans without any problems, it can easily cut the carcass of a large animal (moose, bear) without sharpening; when planing wood, it holds an edge for several days in a row. They can process several tens of kilograms of fish. It is for these purposes that the Russian Bulat company produces knives. If the knife is used for its intended purpose, the company provides a 10-year guarantee on the blade! Since our company is already 13 years old, and during this time there have been practically no complaints about blades from our Damascus. If a person buys a knife for cutting nails, throwing at wood and all kinds of experiments, then it is better to turn to some other company. True, as practice shows, if a person plans to break a knife, he will still break it, no matter where and no matter what steel the knife is made of! But this is already a sign of insanity.
We wish all readers of this article good shopping and successful hunting!
The material was prepared by V.S. Maslennikov, General Director of Russian Bulat LLC.
I present to your attention a high-quality stylish knife made of Damascus steel that you can make with your own hands. Damascus steel is a steel that is heterogeneous in its composition. This is achieved through forging, where different grades of steel are mixed. And if such a metal is then immersed in acid, a unique pattern is formed on it, since each steel changes its color differently.
In this instruction we will look at how you can make Damascus steel yourself. More modern technologies will be used here. We will get Damascus by dismounting two or three types of steel. Steel powder and steel balls will be used as a base here. It is thanks to the balls that we will get an interesting pattern. In principle, the forging process is not complicated, but it requires a forge, an anvil, and some experience. Working with hot metal is very dangerous, so you must follow all safety rules. So, let's move on to making a knife!
Materials and tools that were used by the author:
List of materials:
- steel tube (preferably carbon steel);
- steel balls;
- steel powder;
- some sheet metal for plugs;
- wood for linings;
- brass rods or bushings for pins;
- oil for wood impregnation;
- epoxy adhesive.
List of tools:
- forge furnace, anvil and hammer;
- belt grinder;
- acid for steel pickling;
- Bulgarian;
- drill;
- welding machine;
- caliper;
- hardening oil, electrical tape and more.
Knife making process:
Step one. Forming a blank
First of all, we need to make a blank from balls, steel powder and a piece of pipe, from which the blade will then be made. To do this, pour powder and balls into a steel pipe. You need to fill it in portions, that is, a few balls, then a little powder, and so on. The balls must first be washed well in soapy water so that there are no traces of oil on them. You can also wash them in acetone. We weld the bottom of the pipe using round steel.
As for the metal of the pipe, it is desirable that it is also carbon steel.
Well, then we weld the other end and send the whole thing to the oven. You need to warm it up until it glows yellow and with this heating we perform forging. We crush metal from different sides. It is extremely important for us to mix all the metals together. You will need to heat the workpiece more than once, but forging is never easy. After this we get excellent metal for the knife.
Step two. Checking the metal
When you think the workpiece is ready, you need to check the quality of the metal. First, take a grinder and cut off the edges of the plate. The metal must be uniform, without holes or other defects. Next, we go through the contour with a belt sander. Similarly, we check whether we have mixed the metal well. If everything is fine, you can move on to the next step - forming the profile of the knife.
Step three. Blade profile
The author sets the profile of the blade by forging. First we form the tip of the knife, and then we can make bevels on the blade. We approach the formation of bevels responsibly; the blade should be smooth, but not too thin. There is no need to rush in this matter; we work with a hammer on both sides.
Finally, you will need to separate the blade from the handle. To do this, we work with the sharp part of the hammer. If everything looks great, make sure your blade is straight. At this point the forging can be completed.
Step four. Blade grinding
Having formed the primary profile, you can proceed to grinding. The easiest way to handle such tasks is with a belt sander. We thoroughly polish the entire blade, both the plane and along the contour. Do not sharpen the blade at this step; its thickness should not be less than 1 mm. Otherwise, the blade may become deformed or crack during hardening.
Step five. Heat treatment of metal
Perhaps this step is the most important in making a quality knife. Thanks to heat treatment, we can ensure that the metal from which the knife is made becomes as hard as possible. The temperature regime for each steel grade is individual, but if you don’t know what kind of steel it is, you can follow the basic rules. For example, if a metal is heated to the hardening temperature, a permanent magnet is no longer attracted to it. But this method is not accurate. Also, many craftsmen are able to determine the desired temperature by color; for most steels it should be yellow.
The first thing the author does is normalize the metal after forging. To do this, you need to warm it up and let it cool gradually. The author places the blade in a bag of coal and sends it to the oven. Next, the workpiece can be hardened; to do this, we heat the blade again and immerse it in oil. The procedure can be repeated several times, but usually once is enough. If after this the blade cannot be taken with a file, then the steel is hardened.
However, there is one pitfall here: if the steel is not released after hardening, it will become brittle. That is, we need to make the metal a little softer so that it springs and does not break. A household oven is quite sufficient for this. It needs to be heated to a temperature of about 200°C and the knife needs to be heated for about 1-1.5 hours, depending on the thickness of the metal. If the tempering was successful, the blade should become straw-colored. Now your knife will be able to withstand enormous bending loads as well as shock loads.
Step six. Grinding and drilling holes
After hardening, there will be a coating on the metal that needs to be cleaned off. We put a not too large belt on the draw machine and grind it. If desired, the blade can be made as shiny as a mirror.
We also need to drill holes for the pins in the handle. But it is very difficult to do such a procedure with hardened metal. In this regard, we take a gas burner and warm up the handle. Let it cool gradually. After this, the metal will be drilled using ordinary metal drills. That's all, now all that remains is to make the handle. Wrap the blade with electrical tape or masking tape to avoid cutting yourself during subsequent work.
Step seven. Let's prepare the pads
Overlays can be made from various materials, it can be plastic, textolite, bones, horns and much more. In our case, this is the most popular and sought-after material – wood. We select a board from a beautiful type of wood with a beautiful pattern and make two overlays. If desired, you can glue some other material onto the lining so that the handle is combined.
Step eight. Blade etching
Since our steel is Damascus, we need to remember to highlight that very treasured pattern. To do this, we need a reagent that actively reacts with steel. We clean the blade with sandpaper and clean it with acetone, otherwise the fat will not allow the acid to work. Well, then we lower the blade into the acid for some time. But don't forget about the knife, as steel can completely dissolve the blade. We take out the knife and rinse it in water and soda, it neutralizes the acid. That's it, now we have a fancy, unique pattern on the steel.
Hundreds of modern steels are suitable for compiling a package; I will name only a small number. The chemical composition is suitable for shx15, shx4, shx20sg, shx15sg, 65g, 50xfa, 60s2xfa, 70g, 70s2ha, 5xnm, 5xgm, 5x2mnf, 6xvg, 5xnv, 9xs, xvg, y8, y10, y12, y13a, etc. . In terms of forging and hardening temperatures, Shx15, U8 and 65g are ideal for each other. The temperature for welding them is approximately 1100 degrees, the forging temperature is 900-1000 degrees, the hardening temperature is 850 degrees. All of these steels comply with the “three rules” and are easy to find in everyday life.
When used in equal proportions, these steels produce Damascus steel with a carbon content of 0.8%. To make a package, we will forge these steels into plates of equal dimensions, approximately 15*5*1 cm. Let's put them together into a 6-layer package: y8 - wx15 - 65g - y8 - wx15 - 65g. To prevent the package from falling apart at the corners, we will grab it with electric welding and weld a handle from a piece of reinforcement 50-60 cm long from the end. The package is ready for welding. Now let’s place it in a heated forge and bring it to a temperature of 850-900 degrees, this is a red-orange color. Let's pull the bag out of the forge by the handle and place it on its edge so that all layers of steel stand vertically. Place a handful of borax on top of the bag. The borax should melt and flow right through the bag. If the borax does not leak, you need to add more. If the borax has not all melted, you need to hold the bag of borax in the forge over the coal until the borax melts. Then you need to rotate the package 90 degrees so that all layers of metal are horizontal relative to the ground. In this state, the borax should boil between the layers of steel for several minutes. This is necessary so that the borax dissolves all the slag and scale on the metal that forms when the metal is heated in the forge. Then we take out the package heated to orange color, this is approximately 900-950 degrees Celsius. We place the package under the hammer and hammer it with gentle blows from one edge to the other. With this action we squeeze out the liquid borax with all the toxins. It is not advisable to forge over the entire surface of the package; borax may remain inside the package, which will subsequently lead to “lack of penetration.” After all the borax is squeezed out of the package, the package is not yet welded. We simply brought together the layers of metal cleared of slag and now there is no air access to the metal being welded. This whole process must be carried out very carefully and preferably with safety glasses. Hot borax splashes out of the bag several meters in different directions and this is very dangerous. Place the bag in the forge again and heat it up to a welding temperature of about 1100 degrees, white incandescent color. The color of the package should resemble the color of the hot sun. While the package is heated to welding temperature, it must be constantly monitored and constantly turned in the forge so as not to burn out. As soon as the metal glows like a sparkler, this is a burnout. The package is ready welding is visible when the bag is evenly heated to white heat, there are no dark spots on it and sparks just begin to bounce off of it. The package, ready for welding, is removed from the forge and hammered along its entire length. In the future, you need to stretch the package into a strip by forging. Strip drawing should be carried out at a heating temperature lower than the welding temperature, approximately 950-1000 degrees - yellow heat. When forging a package “on edge” at a temperature of 950-1000 degrees, you will immediately see whether there is a lack of fusion; in place of the “lack of fusion,” the layers will separate. Lack of penetration is not so bad; borax is added again to the place where the layers have separated and the welding process is repeated. Burnout is terrible. At the site of the burn, the steel can no longer be treated. After the package is pulled out into a strip, it can be cut hot or simply cut with a grinder into, say, three equal parts. These parts are put back into a bag and the welding process is repeated. So from 6 layers you will get a package of 18 layers, then from 54, etc. The pattern resulting from this forging process is called "wild damask pattern." To obtain a clear contrasting wild pattern, you need to collect approximately 300-500 layers in the package. During the forging process, only about 2 kg of the finished product will remain from our 3.5 kg package; the rest of the metal burned out during the forging process. To improve the quality of Damascus steel, the last drawing of the package into a strip should be carried out at a temperature of 850-900 degrees, red-orange color of heat. This allows you to achieve a fine-grained steel structure. It is best to harden Damascus steel in used machine oil. After hardening, the pattern on the steel becomes even stronger. Damascus steel cannot be hardened in water; it can simply break there. Japanese blacksmiths harden their swords in water, but they coat them with fire clay before hardening. After quenching in oil, Damascus will have a hardness of approximately 60-64 Rockwell units. To relieve internal stress in Damascus steel, it must be released. This is done by heating the steel twice to a temperature of 180-200 degrees for 1 hour. This process can be carried out even at home in the kitchen in the oven. The pattern on the steel is revealed by etching it in a 5% solution of nitric acid or ferric chloride. Each master selects the concentration of ferric chloride for himself. You need to start learning how to make Damascus steel with “wild Damascus”, and from there you can move on to making more complex patterns. Another tip for those who heat the package in a coal forge. It is advisable to use coke as fuel; it clogs the grates less and produces more heat. It is advisable to heat the package itself in the upper layers of coal or even on top of coal. In these layers, air passing from bottom to top remains practically without oxygen. All oxygen burns out passing through the coal, and in the upper layers of coal it is highly enriched with carbon dioxide. As a result, in the upper layers of coal the metal is almost not oxidized and is partially carbonized and reduced.
The modern shade of Damascus steel is different from the original Damascus of the past. Historically, Damascus was considered crucible. It had a very high carbon content and had a distinctive surface due to its crystalline structure.
Damascus steel got its name because the Crusaders on their way to the Holy Land acquired new blades from this superior steel (superior to medieval European steel) in the city of Damascus. However, the modern version of steel has little in common with the past and looks more like acid-etched steel.
Damascus, shown here, is one of the more modern options. Cable damascus is perhaps one of the easiest ways to forge damascus with a complex pattern. Unlike other methods, this method does not require folding and essentially has a ready-made shape.
Step 1: Safety Precautions
The most important thing is safety. The manufacturing process involves forging, grinding and immersing the metal in chemicals, so it is important to use the proper equipment to ensure safety.
For the forge welding phase (forge welding), many people who do any forging work know the basic safety gear: gloves, apron, closed boots, etc. However, the conditions are not always met. Everyone knows eye protection is important, but for this type of work you need a special kind of protection. The above and only photo in this section is of neodymium glasses. The reason for this is that such glasses are simply necessary for such work.
Experts often neglect this protection, but do not repeat after them. The heat required for forge welding creates radiation that can cause vision loss over the long term. Neodymium glass, however, blocks most of the radiation and keeps your eyes safe. Please note: Neodymium glasses are not the same as welding helmets or sunglasses. By using them in forge welding, your pupils will dilate and your eyes will receive even more radiation.
Step 2: Making the blanks
Before you start working with the cable, you need to prepare. Before it gets into the fire, you need to cut off the part you need, as in the first photo. I cut 3 pieces of 30 cm cable with a diameter of 2.5 cm using a cutting saw. You can cut the cable in any other way, just make sure that the cable you use is made of steel without the use of plastic and that the steel is not galvanized, as the heat reacting with the coating will release gases that can lead to severe poisoning and even of death. Keep this in mind when looking for a cable.
In addition, if this is your first time trying to make this kind of product, perhaps you shouldn’t immediately take such a thick cable, but take, for example, one with a diameter of 1 - 1.5 cm. You won’t get a large and thick product, but you will have good practice before more complex projects.
After cutting, be sure to tighten the cable ends with steel wire. This is done so that the weaving does not unravel during the first stages of work. Be sure to use plain steel wire because other wires that are coated or made of a different material may melt or react with heat and ruin the entire product.
Everyone who makes their own Damascus steel has their own list of steps or secrets that seem to make the process faster and easier. I encourage you to use trial and error to come up with your own plan that is optimal for you personally.
I start by soaking my cold metal in WD40 until it's completely saturated and then covering the whole thing with regular borax before putting the piece in the fire. Both borax and WD40 are needed to prevent oxidation that could make forge welding impossible.
Borax generally does not stick to metal if it is hot or wet, and WD40 will not burn in a forge, so I wet the metal with WD40 first and then sprinkle it with borax, which is the best option for me.
Step 3: Forge Welding
After placing the product in the oven, heat it until it turns bright orange or yellow. Once it reaches the appropriate temperature, let it sit for another minute or so to allow all the metal to absorb the heat and heat evenly.
The cable must be twisted before the shots can be made. It is filled with empty space, which is bad for forge welding. Secure one end of the cable in a vice or similar and use whatever handy tool you find suitable (I used pliers) to twist the sections in the direction the cable is already twisted.
This step may require several reheats. Continue twisting the cable until it stops curling. Make sure the cable does not bend as this will make the whole process much more difficult.
Each time, before putting the cable into the fire, you need to sprinkle it with borax until the metal becomes homogeneous. To ensure that the borax sticks to the metal, pour it in at a time when the product is bright red. An important point: when borax melts, it becomes corrosive and can damage the inside of your forge, so make sure the bricks in your forge are fireproof.
Additionally, hot borax on your skin can be quite painful and may leave scars, so be sure to wear appropriate gear. The last part of forge welding is the weld itself. When the item is hot, you can start hitting it. The idea is to first knock it out into a square block shape. When you hit, you have to watch the cable turn. Personally, I prefer to start in the middle and work my way to the ends.
Impacts will cause the fibers to separate from each other, so it is necessary to reduce the distance from the first impact to the next as much as possible. You will understand that the product has become homogeneous by the changed sound that will be produced when struck. Initially, it will be duller, but as soon as the metal becomes homogeneous, the sound will become bright and ringing. Once it becomes homogeneous, you can begin to shape it into the desired shape.
Step 4: Molding
When planning your project, be sure to remember that the end result will be much smaller in size than the original cable. Also keep in mind that the cable ends may unravel and not be welded. Don't worry, just find where the weld starts and trim the end. Due to the nature of the cable and the number of gaps and protrusions in it, you are bound to encounter holes and holes unless you use an air hammer or a forging press.
The point is to crumple the cable, see what you're dealing with and go from there. I decided to make pendants in the shape of a teardrop shield from my piece. The finer the grit you use in your final sanding, the better the design will be visible. Since I wanted a very deep etching, I didn't need to sand too smooth. 120 grit sandpaper is sufficient before etching.
Step 5: Final stage and defense
Damascus steel should look like one solid piece of metal. To get the pattern, you need to etch the steel with acid. There are several options for using acids, but personally I use ferric chloride. If you want a very superficial etching, such as an image on a surface, you only need to dip the metal in acid for about 20 minutes.
I wanted a very deep etching that you could feel, so I immersed my piece for 7 hours. Once you have finished etching, you must clean the metal and neutralize the acid. One of the easiest ways to do this is to simply spray glass cleaner onto the engraved piece after it has been rinsed with water. Be sure to wear gloves and eye protection for all of this. If you want to add some color to the piece, like in the last two photos, just heat it up a little after etching until the desired color is achieved.
Once the etching is complete, the final step is to protect the metal. Steel is strong, but unfortunately, it tends to rust. If the piece you are using needs to be practical, like a knife, you can apply wax to its surface.
If the piece is more decorative, you can apply a clear coat. It all depends on preference. Personally, I decided to try nail polish. I usually use clear polyurethane, but this time I decided to try something new. Once the piece is varnished, all that's left is to enjoy the look.
Step 6: One Last Point
The piece I made does not require any hardening or heat treatment because it is a decorative piece. If you decide to make a blade out of cable, you need to keep in mind that when hardened, the steel tends to deform in the direction the cable twists. If you want a practical material, make it thicker, otherwise you might start with a knife and end up with a corkscrew.
Step 7: Addition
Here are some more links to pendants. To achieve a very deep etching, they were all etched for almost 24 hours. They were all heated to different temperatures to develop different colors. Finally they were coated with polyurethane to prevent rust.