Damascus hunting knives: luxurious, stylish, functional

About the blade

This steel is created by forging different types of steel together and folding it. Needless to say, this happens at very high temperatures and with outstanding craftsmanship.

History of damascus steel

Originally damascus steel was used to forge a good blade from a lower quality of steel. Hundreds of years ago the foundation was laid in Damascus, located in Syria. It is also how damascus steel got its name.

Today, forging damascus is something that is mainly done for aesthetic reasons. Different patterns and ingredients are used to end up with amazing results. Forging damascus steel is something that still requires a lot of manual labour. Two or more different types of steel are attached to each other after which they are heated in a forging fire. Afterwards it is a matter of hammering, heating, hammering, heating, until the different layers are welded together. The steel is then folded in half after which the process starts from the beginning. By manipulating the hot block of steel in different ways you create different patterns. As a result, each knife has a unique look.

Types of damascus steel

There are a couple of major producers of damascus steel. The Swedish manufacturer Damasteel, for instance, produces the only high-grade damasteel made from two types of powder steel. It is considered to be the best types of damascus steel on the market with the best sharpness retention. But they are also making their mark in the United States: Chad Nichols is known for his excellent steel.

There is a difference between stainless and carbon damascus steel. Stainless damascus is a lot harder to produce and process than carbon damascus. That is also why the price of carbon damascus is often a lot lower.