Yes and No. It’s a common misconception
that working with Damascus means that you’re just going to have to
accept a certain amount of imperfections. Truth is there is just a bunch
of cheap, poorly made damascus out there that’s giving the good stuff a
bad reputation.

Damascus takes a lot of attention to do right and like most things,
you get what you pay for. Be very leery of damascus that’s priced low.

If it’s done right you won’t have to worry about flaws in the
damascus and every thing we sell is 100% guaranteed to not have these
issues.

This really depends on where you’re purchasing your Damascus and Mokume-Gane. In our opinion, you shouldn’t have to worry about the material ripping apart and potentially damaging your machine, or, worse, causing injury. When Damascus is made correctly, the layers fuse and cannot be torn apart. While it’s always possible for a smith to have a “bad batch,” we can proudly say that in the 3 years since we’ve been running Vegas Forge, we have had exactly 0 instances where our product failed and delaminated. That’s why our preparation and process is so meticulous. Because it’s impossible to spot a delamination before it occurs – unless you have an x-ray machine lying around in your shop, anyway – we recommend that you ask around to see what other machinists have experienced with various brands of Mokume and Damascus. Remember that most delaminations occur during machining, and if a brand has had multiple delaminations, it’s likely that there are many weak points in their materials.

Yes. We offer twisted Damascus rods, raindrop billets, ladder billet, typhoon billets, and random billets in 304/316 stainless, which doesn’t require heat treatment.

There are a few factors that determine if and how much a pattern will change when ground or machined.

First is how aggressive your angles and cuts are. For example the bevel on a kitchen knife is much less than the angle of the bevel on a hunting knife. This means that the pattern will change a lot less on the kitchen knife.

Second factor is the pattern. Some of the patterns we make won’t change at all, regardless of how deep you cut, where others will change quite a bit. When we make damascus we follow a “recipe” that we created that lines out how the different alloys need to be stacked inside the canister to create a certain pattern. The more complex the arrangement is, the more it will change. The important thing to remember is that the change is smooth. It’s all one piece of steel so even though it may change, the transition is clean and flows smoothly together.

If you have a specific question you can email us, we’re happy to work things out with you.

To see more examples of our patterns and what they look like when ground or machined Click Here.

Like any beautiful metal, Damascus steel looks even lovelier when polished. If you own a Damascus steel bracelet or ring, it's a good idea to polish it once a week if you wear it often. For items you don't use regularly, or if they serve primarily as decorative pieces, polishing every couple of months will help prevent dirt and dust from building up on the surface. Stainless Damascus, in particular, requires less maintenance than its carbon counterpart, as it's more resistant to rust and staining. To polish, use a soft, non-abrasive cloth. For jewelry such as rings, a small amount of whitening toothpaste can be used to gently polish the surface. Regardless of the type of Damascus steel, be sure to dry it quickly with a soft cloth. Avoid leaving water on the surface, as even though stainless Damascus is more resilient, prolonged exposure to water can still cause issues over time.

Clean it promptly

If you have a Damascus steel kitchen or hunting knife, you're likely enjoying its performance as much as its appearance. Damascus steel, especially stainless Damascus, is renowned for being both functional and durable. However, proper care is still important, particularly for carbon Damascus, which is more susceptible to rust. After using your knife, clean it promptly. Leaving food or other organic materials on the blade can lead to corrosion. Wash with gentle dish soap and warm water, and dry immediately with a soft cloth. Stainless Damascus is more forgiving in terms of maintenance, but prompt cleaning will keep any Damascus blade in top shape.

Oil a blade or sword

For decorative Damascus steel blades or swords, oiling is a great way to preserve their beauty. A thin coat of oil can enhance the natural patterns of the steel and prevent oxidation. If you own a stainless Damascus blade, you won't need to oil it as often as a carbon Damascus one, as stainless steel naturally resists rust. Still, an annual oiling can give even stainless Damascus a rich, lasting luster. For carbon Damascus, oiling every few months is recommended to prevent moisture from damaging the steel.

Sharpen

Damascus steel is among the highest quality metals in the world, but like all knives or blades, it will require sharpening over time. The frequency of sharpening depends on how often you use your blade. Stainless Damascus tends to retain its sharpness longer than carbon Damascus, meaning it requires less frequent sharpening. If you're unfamiliar with sharpening techniques, it’s worth investing in professional sharpening once in a while. Given that Damascus steel doesn’t dull quickly, especially the stainless variant, the occasional professional touch will go a long way.

Damascus steel is growing in popularity, which is a great trend for the craftsman. At the same time, unscrupulous manufacturers are taking advantage of the trend to offer cheap knockoffs and poorly made Damascus to inexperienced smiths who don't know what they're buying.

This has led to some myths and misunderstandings about Damascus steel.

Some people mistakenly believe that Damascus is prone to cracking, can't be worked on a lathe because of delamination risks, or that Damascus is just a low quality metal that can't hold up to serious use.

None of those things are true of real, high quality Damascus and Mokume Gane.

Properly made, real Damascus steel is a craft that takes time and skill to perfect. It's strong and solid, and good brands rarely delaminate while they're being worked.

With that in mind, how does one determine whether their purchase is real, quality Damascus steel, or some kind of cheap imitation?

Here's what to look for:

1: Does The Price Make Sense?

Real Damascus steel is a premium product. The smiths who make it often train for years to build their skills and knowledge, and in order to create the intricate Damascus patterns and maintain the integrity of the finished billet or rod, the entire process is meticulous and involved.

That kind of craftsmanship doesn't come cheap.

One of the hallmarks of imitation Damascus is the low price. If you find yourself wondering why a billet or rod is so inexpensive, that's a red flag that you're not looking at a quality product.

Assuming you've already purchased a piece of steel, there are some other things to look for.

2: Check Surface For Cracks or Voids

Before you start working your steel, look closely at the surface for any cracks or voids. If you see gaps or cracks, you've got some really poorly made Damascus that will delaminate or break while you're trying to work it.

It's pretty hard to tell whether or not a piece of Damascus is bad by looking at the surface, though.

Most of the time, you'll find out that your Damascus is actually junk while you're working it.

3: Sand It

Occasionally, a dishonest manufacturer will sell a piece of metal with a design on the surface as Damascus.

Real Damascus steel is made by working different types of steel together, so the pattern is present throughout the entire piece of metal. If the pattern sands off and the metal beneath is solid in color, you've been scammed.

This isn't as common with billets as it is with finished products - most likely, if you buy cheap Damascus billets, they're just poorly or incorrectly made.

You'll find out when you:

4: Mill It

Use a manual mill or a CNC mill to machine your Damascus, and the strain those machines put on the metal is sometimes enough to pull apart layers that were poorly fused together.

You wouldn't get these same kinds of delaminations from a sanding belt because the force is different.

If a certain brand of Damascus delaminates (the layers come apart) while you work it, you might have just had a bad batch. If two or more pieces delaminate, it's more likely you're using a bad brand.

That's why your best bet is:

5: Talk To People Who've Used That Brand of Damascus

Our suggestion for smiths and makers is usually to call other craftsmen and ask about their experience with a certain brand.

The world of Damascus steel is pretty small, and we all talk to one another. A forge's reputation is everything. Use online forums to connect with others and ask people you know personally what they've found when working with different brands of steel, and if more than one person has had problems with quality, steer clear.

What happens if you can't find anybody that's used a brand?

There are relatively few respected and reputable forges that make real Damascus. If you can't find anyone that's used a particular brand, our advice is that you should skip it.

We carefully anneal each piece of Damascus before it’s sent to you. This step is often overlooked, but annealing softens the steel for easier working. If you would like your Damascus hardened to a certain rockwell hardness, let us know and we can put you in contact with one of our professional heat treat vendors. We’ll ship your Damascus directly to them for hardening before it makes its way to you.

Mokume Gane, is an ancient Japanese technique. This technique involves layering different alloys and manipulating them to create a distinct wood grain-like pattern.

We specialize in adapting this traditional craft for modern applications, producing materials that are highly sought after in luxury goods such as custom knives, jewelry, and fine art pieces. Our expertise in combining various alloys, like copper, nickel silver, and brass, results in intricate, one-of-a-kind patterns.

The Mokume Gane forged here at our shop stands out for its exceptional craftsmanship, blending artistry with metallurgical skill to create pieces that are both functional and aesthetically captivating.

We use different types of steel for each Damascus pattern.

Stainless Damascus is made of either AEB-L and 302, 440 C and CPM 155 or 304/316.

Carbon Damascus, we use either 0-1 and nickel, 1075 and nickel, or 3V and CPM-154.

Mokume-Gane, we use a blend of copper, nickel-silver, and brass.

Damtanium (titanium damascus) we use Grade 5 and Grade 2 Ti.

Zirmascus we use Zirconium, Grade 2 Ti and Grade 5 Ti.

San Mai can be made in any of the stainless or carbon combinations listed above. The options for Core material are listed below:

Stainless Core material we typically use Aeb-L, Nitro-V, Magnacut, XHP or Elmax.

For the Carbon Core we typically use 1095.

Other Core options can be requested, we’ll let you know if it can be done.

The average wait time for most orders is 3 to 4 weeks. Your wait will vary depending on the size of your order and our current workload. For more specific wait time estimates please contact us.

There is no “correct” way to finish mokume because there are many different ways you can finish this material.

We recommend starting by using a 800-1000 grit grind belt for a final finish, though you can choose to go higher. For a mirror-shiny finish, use a soft buffing compound after grinding. You can also buff out any scratches later.

Over time, the copper, brass, and nickel silver in your Mokume begin to oxidize and turn dark. If you want to get this look faster you can purchase different patinas that are designed for copper or brass.

Some people also choose to soak their piece for 1 to 2 minutes in ferric chloride mixed with distilled water, then neutralize the acid with a dip in a baking soda/distilled water bath for 3 minutes. When you remove your Mokume from the baking soda, simply wash it off with water and a clean rag. This will give you a matte finish with deep dark colors.

There are a few reasons you might see spots on your Damascus after etching. Let’s troubleshoot.

1. If your Damascus was ground too fast, it may have gotten too hot and
   the pores in the metal may have closed, which prevents the acid from
   penetrating correctly. This is most common on thin blades, like kitchen
   knives, and the best way to prevent it from happening is to take your
   time and dunk the blade frequently in water while you’re grinding.
2. Using anything other than distilled water to dilute ferric chloride
   often causes spots and problems. Be sure you’re using distilled water,
   and that it’s less than a year old.
3. If your acid has expired, it may not etch correctly. Check the dates on your ferric chloride and muriatic acid.
4. If your metal wasn’t clean enough before submerging it in acid, the
   acid can’t etch it properly. Solvents, mineral spirits, and acetone all
   leave residue behind, so your best bet for cleaning is to always use
   alcohol.
5. Sanding with too high a grit or polishing the metal before etching
   will close the pores in the metal and prevent the etch from working
   correctly. Ideally, you should use 400 to 600 grit sandpaper, and never
   use a buffer before etching.