How to make Damascus steel at home? —

: Security measures

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.

The process of making a knife in a workshop

We have already visited the forge and seen how damascus strips are made, now let's see what happens to them next.

First of all, you need to use a special pattern to trace the outline of the future blade on the workpiece, cut it off from a strip of metal forged in a forge and cut it along the contour.

In the photo (from left to right): marking the workpiece, the workpiece and the pattern, cutting along the contour.

Forging metal using a mechanical hammer allows for slight differences in the thickness of the metal in the forged plate; therefore, it is necessary to align the blade along the plane. After this, the blade is given geometry according to the pattern and drawing, and it is also at this stage that, for example, cutting is done using biconcave lens technology.

In the photo (from left to right): a cut blank, alignment on a plane, giving geometry to the blade.

After the steps described above, we get a blade that is already quite close in appearance to what we are used to seeing on store shelves, but rather rough-looking and without a pattern. The blade must be polished to a mirror finish. Next, the workshop mark is applied (the area for applying the mark is preheated) and holes are made for the rivets if all-metal installation is provided.

In the photo (from left to right): grinding, stamping, drilling holes for rivets.

Not a single blade will have the declared properties if it is not hardened. We move on to the next stage of thermal hardening. The blade is hardened in a thermal furnace at a certain temperature and receives a blade hardness of 62 HRC on the Rockwell scale. After this, the surface is cleaned from scale using a sanding belt and the blade would have become a finished product, if not for one small thing - there is no design. The pattern that makes Damascus - Damascus, manifests itself when the blade is exposed to nitric acid; all the manipulations in the forge with various steels, welding and twisting them, were needed precisely for this moment, to reveal the pattern.

In the photo (from left to right): thermal hardening, descaling, etching of the design.

Actually, the blade is almost ready; all that remains is to sharpen the sharpening angle; let’s pay a little attention to the handle. We install the handle in two versions with a shank and all-metal installation. With the all-metal version, I think no questions should arise; holes for the rivets are drilled and the pads are attached to them. All-metal construction is the most reliable type of fastening, but most people prefer the more traditional fastening with a shank. For a material such as birch bark, celmet installation is almost impossible.

In the photo (from left to right): firing of the shank, the handle disassembled, the handle before turning.

For installation, the shank is annealed, the metal is tempered for drilling holes, a pin is attached to the rivet - the guard and handle can be attached. And the last stage is shaping the handle - the knife is ready. All that remains is to give it the required sharpening angle to the cutting edge, depending on its purpose.

I am attaching a number of photographs that were not included in the main description; unfortunately, the originals were large in size, so all the photographs in the article had to be compressed for normal loading on mobile devices and tablets, so I had to abandon enlargement by clicking.

Forging Damascus in a forge

The production of Damascus can occur in several different ways; we produce the so-called ''welded Damascus''. This technology involves the selection and welding of workpieces (hence the name welding) from various grades of steel, soft and hard, which allows achieving the necessary characteristics for good cutting properties of the blade.

In the photo (from left to right): assembling and welding a package of steels, twisting an unforged package, forging a package of steels with a hammer.

Damascus is not a metal found in nature in its pure form, but consists of a package of steels selected by us as a result of a large number of tests. To create it, we use a package of four steel grades (ShKh-15, KhVG, U8A, steel-3), each of which is necessary to impart the necessary cutting properties to the final product.

Let's move on to the technological process itself in more detail. After the workpiece has been prepared from a package of steels, it must be heated to a bright red color, after which you can proceed directly to forging. The forging process is repeated three times, the thickness of the forged strip in the first two stages does not have clear regulation, and in the third final stage it is made as close as possible to the thickness of the butt of the final product, in order to avoid unnecessary consumption of metal and lengthening the processing process.

Next, the workpiece is given a rectangular shape for the next technological process - twisting. The fragment directly with twisting was not included in the video, but there is nothing particularly complicated here, the hot workpiece is twisted in a spiral, for as many revolutions as can be achieved before the metal hardens - as a result of which the shape of the workpiece changes from rectangular to cylindrical ( You can see the unforging of the twist at the 10th minute of the video). The texture of the pattern on the blade depends on the number of twists.

In addition, I would like to draw your attention to such a moment of the technological process as borax sprinkling (white powder), which is used during forging of the workpiece after twisting to draw out slag and scale, which avoids the appearance of fistulas and lack of penetration. After this, a strip of metal is obtained from which the blades themselves will be made. Now we move on to the workshop, where a knife will be made from the strip, and finally, a few more photos from the forge.

How to sharpen a Damascus steel knife

To sharpen a Damascus knife with your own hands, you need to consider the following nuances:

• part of the blade with nicks and chips needs to be cut down for alignment;
• sharpening the knife is done slowly and carefully so that one layer of the layered structure does not bend onto another - for this, abrasive materials with successively decreasing grain size are used;
• sharpening is carried out diagonally - sharpening the blade lengthwise is ineffective;
• sharpening grooves and stripes spoil the design of the product - they need to be polished with a fine-grained material;
• The sharpened knife must be wiped with a napkin; you can use lemon zest.

Sharpening a knife made of pre-Mas steel.

Features of operation

The service life of a Damascus knife is affected by its correct sharpening. Before starting the procedure, study the hardness of the material. Next, pay attention to the factory sharpening angle; this should be preserved . Stick to a 45 degree angle.

The knife should be sharpened very carefully so as not to bend the soft layer onto the hard one on the edge of the blade. Otherwise, despite its external sharpness, the blade will turn out to be dull when used.

Before sharpening, do not forget to inspect the blade for damage or chips. If you sharpen such a surface, the sharpness will be seriously affected.

You cannot use automation in this process, only the manual method. You should feel the layers being peeled away.

Stages:

1. Use a coarse abrasive to remove the old layer. This step accounts for 80% of all work. Minimum 5 minutes required. To achieve the best result, forget about sudden and jerking movements. Use the abrasive evenly and smoothly along the blade. Do not press too hard, otherwise you will damage the soft layers. Cross sharpening is not acceptable.
2. Start decorative sharpening. To do this, use a fine-grain abrasive. Grind carefully, remove scratches, improve the appearance of the blade.
3. The final step is to wipe with a napkin soaked in lemon juice. If there is no juice, you can replace it with zest and seal with beeswax.

Due to its low corrosion resistance, the blade must be stored in oil. If you ignore this rule, as a result of rust damage, the knife will quickly lose its external and operational properties.

Blanks for the production of Damascus

Any craftsman can make Damascus steel at home; alloy kits are used for this. They contain soft and hard inclusions. By combining them with each other, they achieve blades with pronounced structural patterns.

The following combinations are used, shown in the table. Some workshops offer their own options. The proposed schemes give the best performance.

When starting production in your own workshop, it’s easy to find out how much the finished product costs. Many online shopping sites list prices. As you gain experience and improve the quality of the product, you can increase the price of your products.

Video: how to make Damascus steel?

What is real damascus and damask steel

Previously, the technology for making such weapons was kept secret - only craftsmen knew how to make Damascus steel, and the products themselves were highly valued and incredibly expensive. However, even now knives made from these materials are an expensive pleasure, so a considerable percentage of models belong to the category of collectible weapons.

Damascus

The technology for producing Damascus steel involves forging twisted carbon steel rods/plates. Due to forging, the layers are flattened and become very thin - the multilayer structure provides the blade with the necessary strength characteristics.

Bulat

Unlike Damascus, damask blades are made by casting. According to the technology for preparing damask steel, high- and low-carbon steels are used - as a result of melting, the melt with a low carbon content contains partially molten particles of the high-carbon component.

The difference between damask steel and damask

The advantages of damask steel and Damascus steel have divided lovers of such weapons into two camps. So when choosing, buyers rely more on personal preferences. As mentioned above, even by external signs (by drawing), clearly identifying these materials is not a problem.

Damask steel.

Characteristics of Damascus steel

The main characteristic of this material that users are interested in is hardness. Depending on the maintenance chosen by the manufacturer and the product itself, it can range from 61 to 64 Rockwell units.

In practice, this means that the blade holds an edge well, which is why such models are still valued.

Does Damascus rust?

Since Damascus is a forged package of carbon steels, there is no need to talk about good corrosion resistance - there are practically no alloying elements in the composition.

: 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.

How to make Damascus steel yourself

Translated by SaorY for mozgochiny.ru

Greetings to all brain crafters ! After almost a year of “communication” with a hammer and an anvil, I finally acquired the necessary experience and tools to create forged crafts , such as the small “Damascus” knife from this brain article .

And I started, by the way, with a small sledgehammer as an anvil, which I hit with a small hammer.

Now we will talk about creating a small, forged, not carved, knife with your own hands using a homemade forge, anvil, hammer and determination. I don’t pretend to be a professional, and this is certainly not the only way to obtain welded Damascus; this is the story of how I managed to make it.

Damascus steel today is called welded Damascus, obtained from welded metal plates of various brainsteels , subsequently forged and twisted. It's like molding different colors of plasticine together and twisting it to create a wavy pattern.

After forging, such a workpiece is subjected to etching, in which the dissimilar metals of the workpiece are eroded unevenly, thereby creating a beautiful contrast.

The original Damascus steel is obtained in a different, very specific way (although it looks similar to modern Damascus), and few people know how to create it; this fact has given Damascus a reputation as a metal supposedly endowed with magical powers.

And the reason for this “power”, similar to samurai swords, is a process that makes it possible to obtain a more homogeneous, and therefore with the desired qualities, steel, which cannot be achieved in other ways, and makes it possible to include low-quality and high/low carbon steel in the workpiece. Which results in a much better quality blade.

!!! ATTENTION!! A knife can be dangerous, please do not give it to people with mental disorders!!!

Step 1: Materials and Tools

- steel plates of two or more grades (preferably high carbon content) that will contrast with each other, I took high carbon 1095 steel and 15n20 steel, with a small nickel content, which will add brightness and contrast after etching - flux (borax, which can be purchase at a hardware store) - a piece of reinforcement, a long rod (will be welded to the workpiece as a handle) - wood of your choice for the knife handle - epoxy resin (hardening in 5 minutes is the best) - brass rivets - composition for processing the wood of the handle, I I used linseed oil - metal hardening oil (vegetable)

- ferric chloride

- an anvil (preferably a real steel anvil, although if you don’t have one, some other durable objects will do: a piece of rail, a sledgehammer, a large metal blank, an old bollard mooring post, or just a large strong, hard and flat surface.

Remember how it all started with hitting a large stone with a stone - a hammer (I used a weight of 1.

3 kg, with a cross striker) - pliers - welding (optional, but desirable for welding the plates to each other and welding the handle, if you do not have welding, you can tightly wrap the plates with wire) - forge (capable of heating the workpiece to the temperatures required for forging , which is very important for high-quality fusion of the plates with each other, more on this later) - a belt sander or file with a lot of patience - an oven or another hardening method - a drill or drilling machine

- vice (very useful thing)

Step 2: Assembling the workpiece

Steel plates are cut to the required brain dimensions , mine, for example, are 7.6x1.2cm; Moreover, the larger the workpiece, the more difficult it is to shape it with a hammer.

Before welding them in a stack, the plates are cleaned from all sides of rust and scale.

Next, the plates are stacked, alternating steel grades, so my workpiece consisted of 7 plates, three of which were grade 15n20, and four of which were grade 1095.

The plates, aligned relative to each other, are welded together (don't pay too much attention to my seam), and then a handle is welded to the stack to make it easier to handle the workpiece during forging. There is nothing wrong, especially after the stack of plates have been welded, in using only pliers. I forged my own anyway.

Step 3: First Forging of the Stack

A little about my forge: I made it with my own hands from an empty (I bought a new one on purpose as a precaution) gas cylinder, lined inside with a 5cm layer of kaolin wool and fireproof cement. It is heated by a Ron-Reil type burner, about which there are many good brainstorming articles . The forge itself is not particularly large and can be heated to the required temperature without any problems.

So, the workpiece from the plates is heated to a cherry-red color; the heat for this does not need to be very strong.

The heated homemade is sprinkled with borax, which immediately begins to melt and must be allowed to seep between the plates.

This will remove scale and prevent oxidation by preventing oxygen from contacting the metal. This action will ensure the purity of the workpiece metal.

Then the workpiece is heated again in the forge and the procedure is repeated a couple more times, not forgetting to clean the scale if necessary.

And after this, the workpiece is heated to forging temperature, I can’t say exactly how much, but I believe it’s somewhere in the region of 1260-1315 degrees Celsius.

At this temperature, the workpiece will have a very bright yellow-orange color, similar to moderate daylight.

Then the workpiece is quickly placed on the anvil and with light, soft blows, evenly over the entire area, the forging of the plates begins. Next, the workpiece is again placed in the forge and heated to forging temperature, and then forged with blows of medium force.

And after this, the workpiece is stretched so that it can be bent.

Step 4: Folding the workpiece

It's time to increase the number of brain layers in the workpiece. To do this, the workpiece is forged to a length twice the original length, but it is important to stretch it evenly and not just stretch it.

In the middle of the stretched workpiece, a transverse recess of 3/4 or 4/5 thickness is made using a notch, chisel or other suitable method, along which the workpiece is then folded in half on the edge of the anvil, turned over and forged along the entire length, making sure that the halves do not moved relative to each other along the lateral edges.

Then the heating/forging process from the previous step is repeated: flux, heat, cool, heat, forge, forge.

The procedure for increasing the number of layers is repeated until the required number of these layers, so I folded it 4 times and got 112 layers. (If you want more layers, please, the pattern will then be smaller.

The formula for calculating layers is: initial quantity * 2 to the power of the number of folds, that is, 7 * 24 = 112).

homemade workpiece, heated to forging temperature, is placed in the groove of the anvil, twisted thoroughly, and then it is again given a rectangular shape.

But before twisting, the workpiece is punched in the corners so that its shape becomes more rounded, because when twisting and reverse forging into a rectangular workpiece, inclusions and impurities can form from the resulting folds if the temperature of the workpiece is lower than the forging temperature.

After this, the brain blank is forged again (I repeated it several times), and cooled, and to make sure that the forging is uniform, I cleaned one of the ends of the blank.

Step-by-step technology for making damask steel from bearings

Products from finished ingots or billets are produced in the following sequence.

The inner ring of the bearing is made of ShKh-15 alloy. It is sawed with a grinder cutting disc and sent to the forge for heating. The desired heating temperature is 900…950 ⁰С.

The workpiece is held on the anvil with blacksmith tongs. By beating off the bulges with a hammer, a strip is formed from the ring.

Remove depressions from the strip.

The grinder gives the desired shape.

The workpiece is held in place using a special mandrel. A constant angle allows you to create identical slopes on both sides.

The final shape of the product is obtained by turning.

GOI paste and an auxiliary velvet roller help polish the surface.

After polishing, a finished blade is obtained. All that remains is to make the handle, bolster and sheath. Then the product can be considered finished.

Equipping a workshop for the production of products

In the workshop of a home craftsman who wants to start making products from Damascus steel, you need to have:

1. Welding machine - with its help, plates of materials of different strengths are welded into a single block, which can be processed together.
2. Forge - it heats blanks from finished items to high temperatures (more than 800 ⁰C).
3. An anvil is needed for forging. Forge welding is performed using the deformation method; the shape of the part changes at different stages of processing.
4. A set of hammers and mallets helps you strike with different strengths. When working together, the leading blacksmith uses a light hammer to show the assistant where to strike with a heavy hammer.
5. A vice is used to hold workpieces at different stages of work.
6. A drill press is needed to drill holes.
7. The sharpening machine is used more often than others; it gives shape and sharpness to products.
8. A grinder is a variant of a sharpening machine; its distinctive feature is the use of an abrasive-coated tape glued into a ring. Using a grinder, smooth slopes are formed at a given angle.
9. Machine for making slopes. High-quality sharpening to razor sharpness is possible only with a special device that allows you to move along a strictly defined trajectory.
10. Grinder with a set of cutting and cleaning discs. A simple tool provides assistance in performing a variety of types of actions.

Types of patterns

As a result of the technological process for creating Damascus steel, a unique pattern is formed on the surface - a pattern. There are several types.

Wild Damascus

The most common and easiest to manufacture. It got its name due to its disordered pattern. A package of strips from several grades of steel is welded into a single block. They bend it repeatedly and forge it again. The layers of metal mix randomly. The pattern is formed randomly and looks heterogeneous.

One of the most ancient varieties of Damascus steel. It is highly popular among collectors due to the unique design of each product: knife, saber, dagger.

Stamped

A variation of traditional damask. The pattern is more uniform. Geometric shapes alternate: circles, stripes, rings. Includes two manufacturing methods:

• The metal package is welded in advance. The stamp strikes are applied in a given order. The finished product is polished. Excess metal is removed from the surface in order to more clearly demonstrate the relief and pattern.
• The pattern is applied to the bag using a metalworking method - with a milling cutter or drill. Then the package is forged.

Stamps (stamps are a German word, from which the name is derived) are divided according to the type of drawing:

• reticulate;
• stepped (staircase);
• wavy;
• rhombic;
• ringed

The patterns are similar to wood veneer or circles on water.

The types of patterns are in turn divided into a wide variety of patterns. A master blacksmith can stand out with his specific signature style. In the USA, damask with a peacock eye pattern, products with a pattern in the form of crosses, imitation of barbed wire or mesh are popular. To manufacture the first, uniform drilling of metal is used across the entire width of the workpiece.

Turkish Damascus steel

Refers to the traditional type of patterned steel. The manufacturing method involves forging a bundle of intertwined steel rods. The composition of the rods varies. A complex pattern is formed on the surface - many smooth wavy lines. The size of the lines depends on the chemical composition of the metal of the rods, their diameter, and the method of twisting.

Japanese

It stands out for its fine layered steel structure. The surface is etched. The structure of the alloy appears thanks to unusual polishing. Hardening also has its own characteristics. The handle of the blade is covered with a protective layer of clay mixture. Only the blade itself is hardened. The result is reflected in the properties of the Japanese sword. The blade becomes hard, sharp and brittle. The handle remains elastic.

Mosaic

A modern version of Damascus. It got its name because of the specific manufacturing method. The layered structure gives a beautiful decorative effect. There are two most popular manufacturing methods:

Shell

A metal pipe or container is used to connect mosaic elements. Contrasting steel is placed inside. The container is filled with inert gas or oil. When heated, oxygen binds. A neutral environment is formed inside the shell. The pipe is completely welded. In this state, the shell is sent to the forge. Heats up to welding temperature. Forging often occurs using a hydraulic press. After the formation of a single mass of metal, the shell is removed. A mechanical method is used for removal. The resulting workpiece undergoes further processing.

Technological

Holes are cut in the steel bar in accordance with the specified pattern. Metal inserts of a different chemical composition of equal diameter are placed in the holes. Holes and liners are cut with a plasma cutter. The package is welded using the diffusion method.

The advantage of this method is the ability to create the necessary drawings and various images. Unlike surface engraving, the pattern covers the entire thickness of the blade.

Fibrous

This method is used to make high-quality Japanese knives. The layers of steel are not positioned to the length of the future blade. The rods are finely chopped and laid out at right angles. In this form, the package is forged.

Combined

Combines classical and traditional manufacturing methods. Both methods are applied simultaneously, hence the name. A stamp pattern is applied to the block assembled using the mosaic method. The surface is forged and polished. In the case of applying relief by drilling or milling, the prepared alloy is forged and etched. Grinding is not used in this case.

It is also possible to combine the technique of forging wild Damascus and inserting a metal alloy with contrasting properties. Nickel is used as an alloy that differs in composition. It has a white color, which allows it to stand out against the background of the overall black and gray pattern of the blade.

Industrial

Produced on industrial equipment of metallurgical enterprises. The quality of the blades does not differ from the handmade work of blacksmiths. The scale of production is much larger. The type of patterns can differ into wild, mosaic, combined.

Modern Damascus Steel

A pattern snakes across the metal surface. In it you can guess the ancient Arabic script, and the hot waves of sand, and the light ripples of the surf, and the foggy streaks of storm foam... Each blade is unique, and not only experts understand this. After all, the drawing on it is like handwriting - and there is no other like it. The handwriting of a master blacksmith.

Igor Yurievich Pampukha is a third generation blacksmith. His grandfather was a military gunsmith in one of the units of the Red Army, his father worked as a blacksmith for a long time, and now he has his own forge in the Nizhny Novgorod region. Igor Yuryevich was born in Dushanbe, where he first stood up to the hammer. Now he is a famous blacksmith, a member of the creative union “guild of gunsmiths”, a regular participant and winner of international exhibitions “blade”, “weapons and hunting”, “hunting and fishing in Rus'”.

...Through the light weather of the coming autumn, the rays of the still hot summer sun break through. We enter a modern forge: the metal of tools and workpieces gleams coldly everywhere. “Now it will be hot here,” the blacksmith assures, smiling through his mustache. – I’ll show you how to make the simplest one – stamp damask.

Of course, not from “scratch”, but from the moment the multilayer package is already welded, otherwise you would have to spend the whole day in the forge.” With a confident hand, the master pours coke. And now he is already in the oven... Soon heat begins to emanate from the reddened mass. The piece of metal doesn't seem like anything special. We are trying to guess what will happen...

Damascus? Bulat? That is the question!

Damascus and damask steel are often confused. In ancient times, Indian steel was highly valued, which could be bought in Damascus, which became the center of the arms trade in the era of Alexander the Great. However, the origin of steel in the Damascus bazaar was often difficult to find out, so almost all weapons purchased there were called “Damascus.”

Metallurgical historians distinguish between “pure Damascus” - old Indian cast patterned steel, and “welded Damascus” or new “Damascus steel”. “Pure Damascus”, which is better known by the Russian name “bulat”, is an elastic and very hard material. The sharpened blade of a damask blade can remain sharp for a long time.

"Welded Damascus" ( modern Damascus steel

) or, as it is also called, “welded damask steel” is inferior to real cast damask steel in hardness, but the quality of blades from Damascus is higher than from ordinary steel. The method for producing Damascus steel was most likely invented by accident. Previously, the remaining cut-offs, trimmings (metal was in short supply, nothing was thrown away) - everyone collected together and welded steel for knives and tools. One day, someone saw that a beautiful pattern was being created, and the quality of the metal was becoming noticeably better, and they began to specially fold the pieces.

It is known that iron itself does not have sufficient hardness; it appears in its alloys with carbon and alloying additives. In those days there was no carbon steel as such, but depending on the ore at the molecular level, the original metal contained some amount of chromium, molybdenum or other elements. As a result of forging, the steel turned out better or worse, but the carbon content still remained insufficient. To improve the properties of the metal, the layers were repeatedly rearranged, heated over a fire, and hardened, due to which the steel acquired the necessary strength and hardness.

Today, blacksmiths work with finished metal. In modern steel grades, the content of carbon and alloying elements is determined (in the thickness of our package there is approximately 0.8% carbon, and there are also molybdenum, chromium and nickel, which give a good structure). Therefore, there is no need for some labor-intensive operations. But still, if we compare the ancient technology and ours, the principle remains the same, only the materials are different.

Damask steel recipe

only at first glance it is simple: they coat the crucible with clay, put pieces of different metal inside, close it with a lid with a slightly larger diameter, and coat it with clay again. Then another heat-resistant coating is applied on top. The crucible is placed in the furnace for 5.5 hours (it takes four hours to reach the desired temperature and about two hours for melting). The result is an ingot - this is a crystal of a superhard structure. Then they cut off the “head” and the lower part of the ingot and unforge it. In fact, everything is much more complicated. You can cast for a long time, and then it turns out that it comes out with a crack, and all your efforts are in vain.

The production of Damascus steel has its own secrets. When making a stamped Damascus, it takes 1-1.5 hours for forging and about the same amount for the workpiece. In complex Damascus - only 3-4 days to assemble and weld the package. Mosaic Damascus is made from layers of different structures - twisted, layered, laid out in a certain order. Twist in a regular vice while hot. The layers must be carefully stacked. In terms of cutting properties, mosaic and stamp Damascus are practically the same, although their prices are different.

Are there “formulas” for damask steel and Damascus? Knowing them is one thing, but learning to put them into practice is quite another. You must be able to make metal so that it has high cutting properties - it is a working material. And for it to work, it must be forged correctly, cut correctly, hardened correctly, tempered correctly, sharpened correctly. Here, for example, is medical steel: an error of 10°C during heat treatment results in a completely different material - the entire technological process must be strictly followed. And this is difficult to do if you have no experience.

To determine the quality of a blade, you need to put it to work. If you cut something hard all day, a blade from Damascus will shrink around lunchtime, and from damask steel - somewhere in the evening. And it will also have to be sharpened. The sharpening technique has its own secrets: you can sharpen it so that the blade will cut hair on the fly.

Flaws

The main disadvantage is the low resistance to metal corrosion due to the high carbon content in the composition. Finished products require careful care and storage.

The absence of alloying elements - the necessary components to impart certain physical properties to the metal - leads to the formation of rust on the surface of the blade. As a result, the blade can quickly become unusable.

It is recommended to store Damascus steel products in an oil composition.

High cost of products. Intricate manufacturing, unique patterns, and the metal's superior strength characteristics contribute to the high price tag.

Use of high-quality steel in products

It's not just weapons that need durable materials. Structural materials with special properties are used in a wide variety of industries.

Forged products work in cars, railways, agricultural machinery, and spaceships. Only very simplified technology is used. Forging is used to achieve fine grain in the structure of the metal. Possible cavities that are present in the castings are eliminated.

An example of a modern blade with a pronounced pattern:

There are pros and cons for Damascus steel.

Positive characteristics

• High strength of the product, withstands loads applied in different directions (compressive, tensile, bending and other types of loads).
• Wear resistance of the cutting edge, holds its edge for a long time.
• It has an unusual appearance, it is impossible to repeat the design on a similar object, it makes it recognizable.
• High cost of implementation.

A special type of Damascus steel made from wire rope:

The listed advantages often attract craftsmen to engage in production using the technology of repeated forging of workpieces. For each new batch of goods, its own forging methods and sequence can be used.

Flaws

The main disadvantage is the high labor costs for producing the product. It is necessary to resort to repeated heating of the workpiece.

High carbon steel is susceptible to corrosion. To the question: “Does it rust?” We can answer unequivocally that without proper care, rust quickly destroys the product.

Damascus steel fin, modern product:

Calculation of average carbon content in Damascus steel

There are a lot of articles written about Damascus steel, but since you're about to make it, it's worth repeating some of the theoretical points. Damascus steel consists of alternating layers of high and low carbon steel.

The average carbon content of Damascus
plays an important role .

It can be calculated as follows:

Suppose you welded a package of 30 grams of St3 and 70 grams of U8. So your Damascus is 30% steel with 0.3% carbon and 70% steel with 0.8% carbon. Using a simple proportion, we calculate that (0.3 x 0.003 + 0.7 x 0.008) x 100 = 0.65. Therefore, the average carbon content in the bag is 0.65%. Not enough. It is also necessary to take into account that when the package is first heated to welding temperature, about 0.3% of the carbon burns out, and with each subsequent heating, about another 0.03%. This means that it is necessary to use higher-carbon steel grades, or to increase the relative content of U8 in the package. Using this formula, you can calculate the average amount of carbon in the package and, accordingly, select the appropriate hardening mode. An operation called carburization can increase the carbon content. It should also be remembered that a contrasting pattern is obtained when using steels whose difference in carbon is equal to or greater than 0.4%. The finished product is etched in one of the above reagents. In this case, the product must already be hardened (hardening increases the contrast of the pattern) and polished. The entire defatted product is placed in the etching solution, and the operation is continued until the pattern is clearly and completely visible.

: Final 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.

Chemical composition of wire

Before making a knife, we try to find out the approximate chemical composition of the wire, this is necessary in order to find out whether it is possible to weld it with forge welding and the approximate amount of carbon - this is necessary to find out whether the finished blade will be hardened. We carry out this complex analysis quite simply - by checking for a spark.

Fig. 8. (checking for spark).

From the spark we see that the metal is not alloyed, which tells us that it can be welded using a forge and that the amount of carbon is 0.8-1%, which allows us to assume that the metal will take a decent hardening. There is also the possibility of carbon burning out during forge welding, but we can only check this after welding.

DIY rope knife

Buying a knife made of high-quality steel is, of course, not a problem. If there is not enough assortment of regular or branded blades, you can find a specialist who works on an individual order.

However, you can go another way - make a knife yourself. You most likely won’t be able to forge the perfect blade the first time, but who knows...

A homemade knife made from cable is a worthwhile undertaking; the result can be a high-quality blade with a visible pattern on the blade, formed by mixing layers of metal during the process of forging it.

Material selection

In our time, only true connoisseurs of this craft engage in blade making. However, even a novice blacksmith and anyone can try to forge a homemade knife.

The easiest way to do this is from a piece of thick reinforcement, an old file or a piece of a car spring. It will be a little more difficult to unforge the drill or bearing race. You can get an interesting result from a spun chain from a chainsaw or car engine.

Another material that, after forging, can become a high-quality blade is cable. Its cores are made of carbon steel, capable of holding an edge well after hardening. If you manage to preserve the braided pattern after forging, you can get a very original blade, vaguely reminiscent of wild Damascus steel.

What do you need to know to figure out how to make a knife from rope? Two important nuances: first, whether the properties of the high-carbon material will be preserved during processing; the second is whether a visible pattern will appear on the blade, gracefully turning into a sharpened edge.

Damascus steel

Previously, sharp, flexible and reliable blades with a patterned pattern on the blade were called damask blades (according to one version, from the province of Fulad in Persia, where they were made). Such characteristics and visible effects were achieved using various methods.

Steel could be smelted in a crucible by metallurgical casting, experimenting with the composition of the material. Another option is to “weld” steel strips of different hardnesses in a forge and then forge the resulting workpiece. Blades forged by blacksmiths using a special technique began to be called Damascus.

They differ precisely in the manufacturing method and technology, and not in the characteristics and degree of expression of the pattern. Having unforged a knife from a cable, you can try to create a blade with your own hands that vaguely resembles such material. And although the pattern on the blade is not an end in itself, it is still a distinctive feature of Damascus steel.

Blacksmithing tools and materials

To forge a knife from a cable with your own hands, you need to master the craft of a blacksmith at least at a minimum level. To do this, you will need a pair of hammers: one massive (up to 2 kg), the other lighter (up to 0.5 kg) for fine work, pliers, an anvil and a homemade furnace (forge crucible) with forced air supply.

The manufacturing process cannot be done without a grinder, a sharpening machine, or electric welding. You will need a vice and an adjustable wrench. The fuel for the crucible can be charcoal from rocks that produce great heat, because the workpiece will have to be heated to a temperature of over 1200 ° C.

For better “welding”, you can use borax as a flux. It removes scale and prevents carbon from burning out of the material. It is also necessary to prepare the oil for hardening and ensure safety precautions.

Being able to use someone's blacksmith shop or business forge with a mechanical hammer will make the task much easier.

Preparatory operations

To make a knife from a cable, first of all you need to sketch it out on paper. Then you will have to find a suitable material. It is necessary to check it and at least remotely determine the carbon composition in it.

It depends on this whether the future blade will be hardened, whether it will hold an edge, and whether it will be possible to carry out forge “welding.” The test is carried out for sparks from a grindstone. A moderately dense orange sheaf of them will mean that welding is possible; the steel contains about 1% carbon, which is enough for hardening.

Next you need to cut a piece of cable to the required length. At this stage, the method of manufacturing the handle is determined. It can be made from a single piece of cable without forging. The knife will look original, but have decent weight.

Another option is to electric weld a reinforcement rod to a section of cable. It is convenient to hold on to such a handle when heating the workpiece in the crucible and processing it with hammers. You can then make a handle on it or, by riveting it, install decorative overlays.

Before starting work, the cable is tightened with steel wire clamps in several places. This is done so that during the heating process the thin wires do not unravel.

How to forge a knife from a cable?

The workpiece is placed in the lit crucible and allowed to heat up to 800 °C. At this stage, the cable strands are released (annealing), the material becomes pliable. Additionally, oil and dirt burns out.

After cooling, the workpiece is clamped in a vice and one of the ends of the cable is welded using electric welding. Using an adjustable wrench, it is “tightened” as we weave to maximum density. The other edge is scalded while simultaneously fastening a piece of reinforcement for ease of work. The wire clamps are removed, the workpiece is heated to 1200 °C, and generously sprinkled with borax. This is necessary for better penetration. After reheating, forge “welding” is performed. Using a heavy hammer, the cable is broken flat and periodically sprinkled with borax.

The workpiece is constantly heating up. The more often this is done, the more intensively the forging occurs, the better the material is “welded.” After rough processing, they move on to forging the blade, the future cutting edge, and the shank. At this stage, a smaller hammer is used more, giving the workpiece an outline reminiscent of a sketch of the future blade.

Complexities of technology

It is necessary to constantly monitor the temperature of the workpiece, not allowing it to cool. Working with a heavy hammer, especially without proper practice and experience, can easily damage the curls of the cable in places where a distinct weave pattern should remain. Unwanted hits with the edge or corner of a sledgehammer on a heated workpiece leave deep dents that cannot always be ground off.

During operation, the process of carbon burning out of the metal is inevitable. There are craftsmen who forge a knife from a cable on dense wood placed on the plane of an anvil. When it comes into contact with heated metal, it smolders, and the oxygen in the air at the point of contact is burned, which reduces the degree of carbon burnout from the material.

In addition, by unforging the cable on a tree, you ensure that the workpiece cools more slowly, so you can do a larger amount of work in one cycle.

Special approach

Forging a knife from a cable is also possible using another technology. There are craftsmen who, before forge “welding,” pack an annealed and compacted cable blank of the required length into a piece of stainless steel pipe. Its diameter is selected in such a way that the cable fits into it very tightly, with some effort.

Both ends of such a case are welded by electric welding, fusing the ends of the cable with the pipe. The workpiece is heated to a temperature of 1200-1300 °C and in this form is unforged. The alloyed stainless steel of the pipe with the cable is not welded, but serves only as a protective cover against uneven forging. In addition, the hot cable does not come into contact with air oxygen and the carbon in it burns out minimally during forging.

If you use a hydraulic press, you can significantly facilitate forge welding. After heating to 1300 °C, the case with the cable inside is placed under load and left until it cools. If you use dies, you can immediately form thickenings under the neck for the transition from the blade to the handle and the butt of the shank. During the next heating, the shape of the blade is finalized by hammering through the case.

Knife handle care

Caring for the handle of a knife is no less important than maintaining the blade. Popular wooden and leather handles must be protected from prolonged contact with moisture to avoid deformation, swelling and cracking. If the handle gets wet, it should be dried in a warm and shaded place. If you dry a knife in bright sun or near heating devices, sudden evaporation of moisture and temperature changes can cause cracks, warping, and deformation.

The handle should be serviced along with the blade after each use of the knife and during routine inspection. Special furniture care products and vegetable oils, such as olive, linseed, and clove oils, are suitable for lubricating wood.

Handles made of horn or polymers should be wiped regularly and protected from moisture and direct sunlight.

Care of the scabbard

Knife care should not be one-sided. After cleaning the blade and lubricating the handle, you need to take care of the sheath. The main thing to understand here is that the sheath is a means of transporting a knife, and not a place for storing it. Tannins in the leather negatively affect the steel of the blade, and a wet and dirty knife left in the sheath for a long time can cause swelling and loss of elasticity of the material.

The outer surfaces of the sheath must be regularly cleaned of contaminants and treated with automotive leather conditioner. It is important not to forget to remove lint, grains of sand and other small debris from inside the sheath that may scratch the blade.

Leather easily absorbs stubborn pollutants such as rust. Therefore, if oxide has formed on the knife, you should not allow it to get on the surface of the sheath. It is also important to promptly renew torn seam threads and replace failed rivets.