A high-quality knife made of Damascus steel will become an indispensable assistant during the hunt, in the kitchen or on a hike. With its help, you can easily cut the carcass of an animal and carry out a series of manipulations to open and cut various objects. Consider the features of this tool and its most popular modifications.
History of creation
Damascus knives are famous for the optimal combination of strength and flexibility. The blade is able to bend at right angles, and then straighten on the principle of a spring without losing performance.
For this feature, the blade was valued in ancient times. It is worth noting that the first mention of Damascus steel dates back to the era of Alexander the Great. The Indian king Pore had a shell of such material that reliably protected him from the cold steel of the Europeans, without even scratching. Blades of warriors were made of similar steel.
In history, three variants of the origin of the concept of "damask knife" are considered:
- It is assumed that the Arabic translation refers to water as damask, and most combat blades have a wave-like pattern on their surface.
- The Islamic version claims that the name of the weapon comes from the word damascin.
- Another option is the manufacture of blades by the master gunsmith Damascus.
Benefits
Damascus steel knives have many advantages over analogues of damask steel or other steel. Among them:
- High rate of hardness and strength.
- Excellent cutting performance.
- Attractive and ergonomic appearance.
- The knife is comfortable and fits perfectly in the palm of your hand.
- Light weight.
- Lack of chipping of a blade at repeated sharpening.
- Unlimited service life with proper storage and care.
Among the shortcomings, high cost is noted, but this is not surprising, since a high-quality tool cannot be cheap.
Damascus Steel Knives
This tool is great for slicing meat, fish, poultry, vegetable products. In fact, it is universal, can be made to order, mainly equipped with a wide blade.
Models for tourists are valued for their resistance to wear, great for extreme travelers. Most often, the device has a small blade, used for fishing and hiking.
Damascus folding knife
Damask steel and damask steel are prone to rust. Remove it with a cloth soaked in gun grease. Experts do not recommend using abrasive materials to process the blade, since they scratch the blade. Alternatively, special solutions or hard rubber may be used.
Folding knives made of Damascus steel are more susceptible to corrosion processes, therefore they are made of stainless parts. The handle is preferably selected from plastic or other polymer analogues. It is worth noting that the technology for manufacturing highly alloyed samples from the steel in question is very complex, and therefore the price of such models is much higher than that of alternative modifications.
Features
Do not remove the knife from Damascus steel without special need. After use, the tool should be cleaned, treated with a special grease or oil composition and stored in a dry place. If there is frequent contact with high humidity, the blade is lubricated with ordinary petroleum jelly.
Leather sheaths can also be treated with special tools to preserve their appearance and basic characteristics. Sometimes standard damask or damask blades made of stainless steel are found, however, real connoisseurs do not welcome this approach because of the short preservation of sharpening on stainless steel. They recommend the use of special anti-corrosion additives to maintain sharpness and strength, protecting the blade from rust.
main destination
At all times, hunting knives from Damascus steel were revered and stood out among competitors. The material under consideration has a high strength index and amazing beauty, and also has high cutting and mechanical qualities. The wavy pattern on the blade, obtained as a result of using complex and labor-intensive technology, is unlikely to leave indifferent any connoisseur of edged weapons.
Damascus blades are relatively resistant to corrosion, perfectly keep the working part in an acute state. A well-made copy is convenient, easy to cut, thanks to the correct geometry of the handle and blade. In addition, it does not crumble and has a long service life. In the manufacture of such knives mainly natural materials are used, including parts of buffalo or moose antlers, wood (walnut, acacia, birch, wenge, chestnut).
Criterias of choice
Now in weapons stores a wide range of knives from Damascus steel is offered: from budget variations to exclusive handmade models. On the market are modifications from both foreign and domestic masters.
Before buying a blade, you need to determine its main purpose. The basic parameters of the knife and its shape will depend on this. The main option of the tool in question is to cut well. In this regard, it has a sharpening on one side, and a flat butt on the back. The hunting version of the guard is missing or has small dimensions. This design is more convenient when processing carcasses. For convenience, a small emphasis for the index finger is provided on the front surface. This weapon should be your assistant, have a safe design for any transportation and be convenient to use.
