|
Damascus Blades!
16/f
Well, Christmas is coming up, and my boyfriend is really into cutlery, and has a tiny knife collection.
I'd really like to make him a knife. Not buy, but make one. My problem is, I've never made a knife before, but I know there are tons of knife kits out there for beginners like myself. I would very much like to purchase a knife kit off the internet or in a store and use that and the instructions that come with it to build a knife for my boy.
My other problem is: I can't find one that I like. I know a bit about knives and blades and whatnot, and I would REALLY like to make him a knife with a damascus blade on it, it's both of our favorites.
Damascus blades look like this: [Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
Most kits have only steel blades, but I would really really like making one of damascus steel, not stainless.
I was wondering if any of you advicenators would know of a website or link I could use to locate a damascus blade kit. It would be really appreciated if the kit actually came with handle material and pivots and stuff. Also, I'd prefer it to be a fixed blade, not a folded blade. But either will do, beggars can't be choosers.
What I'm really asking, is for someone to please send me a link to a damascus blade knife kit that's not too expensive.
The prior stated criteria is preferred, but not necessary!
Thank you so much!
[ ]
Want to answer more questions in the Relationships category?
Maybe give some free advice about: Gift Giving?
Hi there,
Damascus steel knife blades are very beautiful if done well, that is for sure. The secret is finding one you can afford that IS done well.
There is a lot of outright fraud in the Damascus steel blade market, so you really need to buy from someone trustworthy. Here is my suggestion for that person:
Rob Charlton of DAMASCUS-USA has good prices on blade blanks.
I wouldn't list it here because you said kits, but you also mentioned that stated criteria were preferred, not required, so here we go.
Really, this IS the go-to-guy for Damascus steel in the USA.
Here is his info:
Damascus-USA website:
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
Rob Charlton
DAMASCUS-USA
149 Deans Farm Rd
Tyner, NC 27980-9607
Phone: (252) 221-2010
This may not be exactly what you were looking for, but it is a good place to start. I would e-mail him, or better yet pick up the phone and tell him what you were after. He may be able to accommodate you in some way or point you to someone else he knows of who supplies a complete Damascus blade kit.
Now, this is what I am going to call the Damascus sense check:
If you want to make something for your boyfriend, how much are you willing to spend?
If you aren't willing to part with $200-300 dollars, you aren't very likely to end up with something nice.
If you are willing to spend the money, I urge you to look at the finished blades on the Damascus-USA website. There are some VERY fine knives there at a price that is less than you building and finishing a similar blade on your own. On top of this, the blade you end up with will not have the fit and quality that the finished knives have.
There are kits available from some famous Japanese Damascus knife makers, but they are rarely complete with grips. Here is an example:
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
... have a look towards the bottom of the page.
Please consider contacting the people who operate this site(Japanese Knife Direct:)
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
... and asking what other kits they may have, or be able to point you to.
Another place to look would be forums for knife making enthusiasts:
Just post a message like your question here, and see what answers might come your way.
I did find a couple of kits on ebay, and cheap at that, but I worry about the fact that they are rivet-less, the blades are, in my opinion, butt ugly and you would have the shipping time from India, whatever that would be. Here is a search link for you:
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
... just look down in the store items.
I found another place that sells everything you would need to do this on the cheap, get a reasonably decent looking end result and have everything you need come from one place:
Crazy Cow Trading Post: (No, really.)
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
... who supply an amazing variety of Damascus blades and knife making supplies.
The one thing I question here is the quality of the steel and what ability it might have to hold an edge.
Just as a note, the reason you rarely find grips included in a quality knife kit is a simple one: That is all you are expecting to do custom anyway. ;-) Think about it: If you aren't creating custom grips for your Damascus blade, then what would be the point in not having a skilled craftsman finish the knife?
I know you want to do something special for him, and that is very cool, but please look at some of the high quality finished knives on Damascus-USA once you figure out how much your Damascus knife kit will set you back, and see if you want to go the finished route.
Something like this:
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
... will likely last a lifetime, if that is what you are after.
I am guessing that is more info than you expected from Advicenators, but you just happened to ask the right guy. ;-)
DN.
]
More Questions: |