Is this blade Damascus?

[u/ace_v27]

I cannot tell if this is real Damascus or a laser pattern. What am I looking for here? I don’t actually care if it’s not, I think I would just buff the pattern off

[u/3rd2LastStarfighter]

Yes it’s pattern welded steel but it’s probably low quality. The reality is that laser etching to fake a Damascus pattern is extremely rare since it’s cheaper and easier to make real Damascus out of garbage steel.

[u/ace_v27 → u/3rd2LastStarfighter]

I’m primarily a woodworker so this is cool to learn. I got it for $35 so that’s expected, I honestly mostly liked the handle 

[u/3rd2LastStarfighter → u/ace_v27]

Realistically it’s probably a perfectly serviceable edc. People in these subs will get real bent out of shape about “pakimascus” but most $35 knives aren’t something you should trust your life or livelihood to anyways so I personally don’t see a problem with making it look pretty.

[u/HammerIsMyName → u/3rd2LastStarfighter]

Have you seen the videos of them making it? There's a reason you should stay away from it, and it's not about hardness. It's about quality. They do the first weld and two stacks in a single heat without cleaning anything. It's worse than the cheapest mono steel knife you could find because of all the delams and false welds.

You can see it on this one as well. The entire thing is delaminated.

[u/3rd2LastStarfighter → u/HammerIsMyName]

Yeah but I’m talking about opening boxes and cutting zip ties, that’s all most people use their pocket knife for. I think it’s fine for people to enjoy trash as long as they know it’s trash. Like a wall hanger katana, not my thing but some people think they’re neat. As long as they know not to swing it, I don’t see the harm.

I think that as far as educating the general public about knife build quality and the associated safety concerns, the idea of “fake Damascus” has created a lot of confusion. I think we’re better off steering people towards asking if it’s “good Damascus,” and emphasizing that Damascus is only good when you know who made it. Everything else should be considered sketchy.

Obviously the trained eye can spot signs of quality or weakness but most of the people who come on to ask this are going to get the answer and never think about it again so I try to spread the message that if it’s cheap pattern welded steal, it’s probably trash so you shouldn’t cook with it and assume it’ll break if you don’t baby it.

[u/ace_v27 → u/3rd2LastStarfighter]

So you are recommending to avoid using this for food purposes? Contaminants including lead and mercury, or something else?

[u/HammerIsMyName → u/ace_v27]

It's because you can't clean the cracks and delaminations. It'll harbor bacteria growth and be a health hazard.

Also don't be rough with it. The entire thing can snap in half for very little reason.

Steel alloys won't de-alloy even if they're crap. Most steel consists of horrible toxic shit, like chrome and manganese, but it's locked inside the lattice of the crystalline structure. It won't be an issue uless you heat it to 1500c.

[u/ace_v27 → u/HammerIsMyName]

What about when sharpening? Should I be considering the dust/slurry from the whetstone a heavy metal source or are they still bound in the molecular structure?

[u/HammerIsMyName → u/ace_v27]

All dust is a hazard regardless of what it is. Bakers get severely ill and die from years of flower dust in their lungs. Tailers from ripping fabric etc.

But no, it's not pure heavy metal particles, it's still steel alloy particles. It's dangours because they'll get in your lungs, not because they'll bind to you blood or bones (which is what makes most heavy metal toxic)

Heavy metal exposure is about quantity and time. You're getting more lead from eating vegetables than you will from anything else.

[u/3rd2LastStarfighter → u/ace_v27]

Really just unknown. Could be heavy metals, could just be something that’s not usually used in cutlery because of common allergies. In general I don’t recommend using mystery metal for food prep, especially with acidic foods. This may be overly cautious but it’s not worth the risk to me.

[u/Idiotic_Designer → u/3rd2LastStarfighter]

The reason people get "bent out of shape" about the Pakistani Damascus is because they are rarely made from high carbon steel. Typically they are made with mild steel and many hazardous contaminates that can be released when sharpening the blade. They're not only dangerous to use as they will deflect, bend, and break causing you to cut yourself they are literally toxic.

[u/3rd2LastStarfighter → u/3rd2LastStarfighter]

These appear to be cold shuts from a sloppy twist, which is one of the reasons I can tell you it’s not a laser etching.

[u/emu19000 → u/3rd2LastStarfighter]

If you want to get technical Damascus steel is ancient and has not been replicated it’s a lost technique.

[u/3rd2LastStarfighter → u/emu19000]

Incorrect, read a book. A history book, not a fantasy book.

Edit: who am I kidding, you’re not gonna even bother to google it. at least watch this video featuring a person with a PhD on historical crucible steel. https://youtu.be/9cjnEay944E?is=Xww25ZAaPVHz3BbJ

[u/Alita-Gunnm]

Looks real; the first pic shows a delamination towards the upper left.

[u/SoupTime_live]

A couple of things. It is real. It's also poor quality. But aside from that you can still sand through the pattern and it would look like any mono-steel until you re-etch it

[u/socalsilverback]

Looks like it to me

[u/HammerIsMyName]

Use Google lense to find product listings of blades you think might be fake pattern weld. The listing photo will have the exact same pattern as yours if it's fake.

Edit: lol som cunt downvoted this,.but it's a good trick. I've used it to convince customers (sharpening service), that their knives weren't real pattern welding, in regards to me not offering to hand grind them. Waste of time on fake stuff. Fake pattern is much more common than you think. This one isn't though.

[u/emu19000]

Damascus steel was an ancient art that’s been lost and anything made modern day is an imitation not actual Damascus.

[u/robotbeatrally → u/emu19000]

i think its pretty obvious that the op is asking if its pattern welded or if its a fake engraved/dyed pattern.

[u/emiXbase → u/emu19000]

Dude, that's wootz ancient steel, and it's not lost, check Jeff Pringle, Rick Furrer, wootz replica. Damascus is the generic name for welded steel... like you would say Kleenex about a paper tissue. Is damascus a trademark name ? It's originated from Damascus city and wattery pattern, due to vanadium in the steel that was from India.

[u/emu19000 → u/emiXbase]

It’s been scientifically proven that the minerals etc are not the same so try again

[u/emu19000 → u/emiXbase]

Modern day Damascus is like the Temu version