Damascus Steel Knives Are Well-Known For Their Contemporary Styles

A number of reasons make Damascus knives popular among knife enthusiasts. Having such variety reflects Damascus' inherent versatility, which other blades lack. Furthermore, Damascus steel's history adds to the intrigue, as it builds upon a long tradition and offers a sense of mystery.

Damascus steel knives are typically regarded by fans as being aesthetically pleasing and highly functional. These knives have special and stylish patterns. Every knife is unique. All of the knives are one of a kind and valuable as works of art.

PROCESS OF MAKING KNIVES WITH DAMASCUS STEEL

For the last few years, Damascus steel has been revered as a standard in professional knife making. This method was famously used to create swords in the Middle East but was not widely adopted until recently because of its complexity and expense. Today, it is the method most often used in modern knife making.

• The Damascus steel knives are made by fusing two different types of metals together to create a blade with distinctive characteristics that set the knife apart from all others. The layers of metal are forged together so quickly and skillfully that they can be mistaken for one metal when seen from certain angles. The materials required for this fusion are very specific and must be prepared in an exact way. The blade of the knife is made out of two types of steel, one having a low amount of carbon and the other having a high amount.

• The low-carbon content steel is called "the hard steel," and the high-carbon content steel is named "the soft steel." These metals are melted together in a forge and smoothly blended to form a patterned surface on one side of the blade only. This patterned surface is referred to as "the Damascus. This steel is used in the making of Damascus steel knives.

• Once the alloy is formed, it is then immersed in water to cool it down. Too much cooling, however, will cause the metal to crack or break apart when being forged into the knife's blade. When this stage is complete, both metals are held by an expert smith so that they do not move during this next step of creating a pattern on one side of the blade only.

Why is Chromium Important To Damascus Steel? 

Damascus steel is not actually made from two different types of steel like you might think. The majority of the metal in the damascus steel knife is made with a specific mix of carbon and chromium (usually around 62% carbon, with most of the rest being iron). Often less than 2% of each of these metals are added. These elements give foods their characteristic taste and appeal. Unfortunately, when they are added into the mix, they prevent things like rust or rust-producing bacteria from forming.  You'll notice that in food preparation, chefs use salt containing potassium chloride to help control bacteria's ability to form sores on raw meats before cooking them.

Chromium is very important in keeping Damascus steel from rusting. If it wasn't, the blades made using the process of making Damascus steel wouldn't be usable after a few months of use. This is why, for centuries, chromium was considered a rare and valuable metal!

Modern Damascus Steel Knives

One thing that I should mention is that today's modern Damascus steel is not the same as the old. The old ones were pure iron with no carbon added and the blades were made by the old smiths cutting out blocks of bare metal then piling on their pattern. Today's modern Damascus steel knives are all carbon-rich because carbon hardens the blade and makes it stronger. The result will be a knife with a much harder edge than the one made by hand. The patterns on the blade will not look exactly like the ones on the old swords, but they should still make for a very interesting piece. 

Damascus Knife Patterns Are Primary Reasons For Their Success

The pattern on a Damascus steel blade is one of its most desirable features. The patterns that develop on the knife are different for every knife that has been forged using this method. Thus, each Damascus steel knife has a distinct appearance and is valued equally so. In modern times, the creation of a "damascus" pattern has been achieved by placing layers of steel of varying carbon content together and heating them so they become fused together. The layers of metal are forged together so quickly and skillfully that they can be mistaken for one metal when seen from certain angles.