If you’ve ever seen a knife made of handmade damascus steel, I don’t need to tell you how exciting the material is. There is something innate in us that almost automatically makes one wonder, “how did that pattern come to be?” I’ll let you in on a secret: even knowing precisely how, the material is no less exciting. It is because of this sense of wonder—and pure aesthetic satisfaction; we humans recognize and relate to patterns by nature—that a damascus steel knife is just about as cool as you can get. There is, however, a commitment to damascus steel care that needs to be understood before you add such a knife to your collection.
Let’s look at some factors that can cause excess wear and tear on your knife as well as how to care for it.
Damascus, or “pattern welded” steel is made of two or more dissimilar alloys of steel. The two I use most commonly are called 1084 and 15n20. Both are high carbon steels, but the “n” in the latter stands for “nickel,” and that steel has a high nickel content. To make damascus, the two steels are forge-welded together into a single solid bar, and then the bar is manipulated to produce patterns in the layers. When the forged blade is ground to its finished shape, the material looks fairly similar to non-patterned steel—shiny silver, that is. Only once the blade is polished and etched in an acid bath does the pattern reveal itself. The acid attacks the steel, oxidizing the iron that makes up most of the material, and leaving a layer of black iron oxide behind. But the nickel in the 15n20 layers resists that attack and stays bright.
Let’s look at the next factor for caring for that damascus steel knife. By its nature, high carbon steel is prone to tarnishing. In its simplest form, the tarnish (or patina) is also a form of oxidation, just like the acid etch. Whether a blade is non-patterned high carbon steel, or high carbon damascus steel, it will develop some form of this through use. This is particularly true of kitchen knives, as acidic foods like citrus, tomatoes, and onions will have a mild etching effect on the steel. For most people familiar with high carbon steel, this is part of the natural beauty of the material. I feel that it is a reflection of the meals prepared with the knife, and thus, of shared experience and memory.
The main enemy of the steel is moisture plus time. All forms of high carbon damascus steel are also prone to rust. (Rust is just red iron oxide.) Do not let this alarm you though; it is still very simple to care for your damascus steel. Because the main enemy is moisture plus time, the main rule is: don’t leave your blade wet for too long. Luckily, high carbon and damascus steel are easy to care for.
It is best to be in the habit of washing and drying your knife after each use; warm soapy water will strip away any oxidizing substances left on the blade, and drying it thoroughly will prevent any rust from forming. It is also a good idea to oil the steel from time to time. Some owners keep an oil cloth handy and wipe their blades down with each use.
As with any knife, honing and sharpening are both important aspects of damascus steel care. Under magnification, all blades are serrated with little teeth. These teeth are formed by the peaks and valleys of the abrasive used to sharpen the edge. They will bend out of line more easily when the abrasive is coarser because the teeth are longer and more ragged. This is similar to how a paperclip is bent back and forth a few times; eventually it will break. That’s when you need to sharpen to establish a new set of teeth by means of abrasion. The finer the abrasive, the smaller the teeth, the less prone the blade will be to dulling.
As you can see, if you follow these simple steps, damascus steel care is actually quite simple, and your knife can outlast you by centuries.
View Jonas Blade to learn more about how to care for your damascus steel knife!
About The Author
Zack Jonas was born and raised in Massachusetts in the 1980’s and is still a New Englander today. With his growing love for art over the years, he took an introductory bladesmithing class at MASSart. It was there that he learned one of his most valuable lessons, which is that everyone has some insight worth learning. Today, he is a full-time bladesmith and feels incredibly fortunate to have found his calling.