Damascus blade

[vesuvio]

How to tell if a Damascus blade is real damascus?

[Wim Vangossum]

You can find information about that in the books written by Atwwood, T. Johnson and T. Wittmann. Real damascus in build up from thin layers of steel. So I guess if you know what to looking for a magnifier will be a helpfull instrument. Experts could feel it also with their fingers if I'm correct. It's a long time ago that I read this info in my books and I do not care so much because I never will have the money to buy TR-damascus daggers.

Regards, Theo

[Skipper Greenwade]

Often the blade tang will bear the marking "Echt Damast". That's a good place to start.

Beware, however, that period artificial damascus blades look really good (I have an Army dagger with a beautiful artificial Damascus blade)

Best,
Skip

[vesuvio]

Can you please post pictures of yours, either Army or 2nd Luft. What is an appx. value for a Artificial and for an Original?

[Skipper Greenwade]

IMHO, an Army with a nice, artificial damascus blade will bringn in the neighborhood of $1,800.00

One with a nice genuine Damascus blade might fetch $7,000.00

Again, these prices are my opinion...I think prices on these are quite subjective, as they seldom turn up. The pattern and quality of the Damascus will also affect the price, only adding to the confusion.

Hope that helps,
Skip

[wolfeknives]

It is very easy to differentiate between real and artificial damascus. Damascus steel is created by forging several layers of hardenable and non hardenable steel together. It starts out as a billet approx. 1 1/2" wide X 1" high x3" long. This is then drawn out and folded several times. If the blade is to be a random pattern damascus,the blank is then forged to the rough blade shape and the bevels are ground. If the blade is to be of a more complicated pattern, a larger bundle of layered steel is required. This will result in a relatively thick blank, which is impressed with a series of dimples or lines. The blank is then ground down to provide a flat surface, cutting through the the now deformed layers of steel. When the blade bevels are gound on the blank, all layers become visible (like cutting through a piece of plywood on an angle).
After heat treating, the blade is polished and dipped into an acid solution. The non hardened layers are eaten away faster than the hard layers, bringing out the pattern of the damascus. For the very best daggers the entire blade is then blued and again lightly polished, which leaves a dark background in the recesses, pronouncing the pattern in the damascus.
Because of the number of times the steel is folded and forge welded the lines in the pattern will be vey fine and of slightly different width.
Artificial damascus is created by applying a resist in a damascus pattern to the ordinary steel blade and then etching in acid. (Similar method used to apply inscriptions on SA & SS daggers)This creates a very flat looking pattern with all lines of the same depth.
Many of the damascus blades created today are etched with ferric chloride which is easy to work with and control, but the resulting etch is oftem somewhat more washed out than the acid etch.
Wolfgang

[vesuvio]

Thank you guys, I'll post some pictures when I get them.