Working with damascus steel

Jewelry Discussion
21

I make (so-called) Damascus steel jewelry which includes bracelets
and pendants as well as rings. This is from pattern welded carbon
steel that I make myself. I refer to it as Damascus because it gives
the customer a starting point for understanding what it is. Then if
someone seems interested in knowing more I’ll explain that it’s
modern pattern welded steel. Whether or not it is really suitable
for jewelry is a matter of opinion, surprisingly, rings are fine,
they don’t rust any more than a steel tool that is handled constantly
will rust in your hands. There may be some people with a body
chemistry or lifestyle where rings would rust, but so far no
complaints and I’ve been making them for several years. Jewelry that
isn’t worn constantly is another issue. If its left somewhere damp,
or with something corrosive on it, which could be a variety of things
from daily life, like food spatters or cleaning agents, you may find
rust. Again, think of a steel tool that might sit somewhere unused.
If it was something you valued you might take care to keep it safe
and dry and maybe put a little oil on it as a precaution when not in
use. I have flush set small stones into it in an annealed state. I
have soldered it, but I’m aware that the solder joint may corrode, so
I don’t make anything soldered for customers unless they understand
its experimental. The tool steels used in modern Damascus are not fun
to cut or drill and its messy. To make jewelry from it, it would help
to have some experience as a blacksmith and/or machinist as well as a
jeweler.

I use Stainless Steel “Damascus” as well which of course does not
rust. Personally I think it lacks the life and also the myriad of
pattens one can achieve with carbon steel.

Celeste

22 
The trap is that pattern welded steel isn't Damascus steel. They
are two different things.

I didn’t fall into any trap. I didn’t specify Damascus(crucible) or
pattern welded steel, only “patterned”, which could describe either.
The caution about rings would apply to both types, if made of
non-stainless steel types (all crucible, (isn’t that right?), and
some pattern welded) And even with stainless steel types used in some
pattern welded steels, corrosion resistance needed for long term
durability in a ring varies with the type of stainless used.

Peter

23

Hi Peter,

I didn't fall into any trap. I didn't specify Damascus(crucible) or
pattern welded steel, only "patterned", which could describe
either. The caution about rings would apply to both types, if made
of non-stainless steel types (all crucible, (isn't that right?),
and some pattern welded) And even with stainless steel types used
in some pattern welded steels, corrosion resistance needed for long
term durability in a ring varies with the type of stainless used.

Ferrous metal in jewellery is tricky, unless it’s a pure element,
then it’s not so bad. Speaking of which, fine silver and pure iron
mokume, anyone know how that would hold up, galvanically it sounds
like a nightmare, anyone have any tips.

I’d avoid steels for jewellery that sits close to the skin, even
stainless, the acid in my skin blemishes stainless. Bronze mokume is
different, in that you want it to patinate, so it doesn’t matter if
it gets some “character”.

If you want a textured rust, then steel is the way to go, and
recently there was a competition winner that had opals and a rusty
piece of steel in a piece. At first it sounds terrible, but it looked
pretty nice.

Regards Charles A.

24

Damascus for pattern welded… I suppose it’s what everyone knows
(even though it’s not 100% correct), it started in the 1970’s, so
it’s been misused for 40 years… meh.

Got any pictures of your work?

Damasteel have some random pattern bars for sale, of course fairly
expensive.

As to talking about modern steels 52100 (my arm aches just thinking
about it :smiley: )

Regards Charles A.

25 
Is that the crucible steel or pattern welded?

Yes, Charles, Dr. Bloom makes pattern-welded steel knives (and other
objects). I was merely using the term in the generic that most modern
laymen would think of. I am quite aware of the proper history (and
endless debate) about “true” Damascus.

Ron Charlotte – Gainesville, FL

26

There’s a very good article on Damascus Steel by Bill Herndon in the
Feb/Mar 2011 issue of the ‘Machinist’s Workshop’ (villagepress.com).

The article is mostly about knifes, but the techniques are
applicable to other items.

The magazine is available in Borders magazine section & may be
available in other locations as well.

Dave

27 
There's a very good article on Damascus Steel by Bill Herndon in
the Feb/Mar 2011 issue of the 'Machinist's Workshop'
(villagepress.com).

Try as I might I can’t find anything about this, do you have a link?
CIA

28

I have a friend that makes knives with Damasteel. Would there be
enough left over from each blade to do something like pendants? I
don’t know how big the pieces come that he gets. You all have me
getting ideas now. His page is

We’re in north Georgia, hence the name.

Val

29

Hi Charles,

There’s a very good article on Damascus Steel by Bill Herndon in
the Feb/Mar 2011 issue of the ‘Machinist’s Workshop’
(villagepress.com).

Try as I might I can't find anything about this, do you have a
link?

The Village Press (villagepress.com) is the publisher of the
magazine. You might contact them to see if the article is available
on the web. If push comes to shove, you could order a copy of the
magazine from them.

Dave

30

Hi all,

I’ve read many of the posts and responses about
Damascus/Pattern-welded steel and was wondering about some of the
working characteristics.

I am very familiar with working with platinum and gold alloys, and
somewhat in Sterling, but I don’t know about how I might encorporate
the pattern-welded materials into sterling, for example,
particularly when it comes to soldering and using a rolling mill.

I know there are many of you out there with extensive experience
with this, and I was hoping you might share some of your experience.

I am also looking to source some of the Pattern-welded sheet, say
18g, and different styles.

thank you,
Jason S.

31

Sourcing new,as in standard rolled sheet damascus pattern welded
steel is difficult. Never seen it.

Ive wrought iron in sheet form, 1/16th in thick and 1/8 in thick.
Only seen it once.

so bought it, its Very rare.

your best bet is to go search out an old established gun smithy.
They may just have some old smooth bore shot gun barrels no longer
safe to use.

If there say 3/4 to 1in in dia, slit length wise then open out to
make sheet about 3 in wide…

They wil be tough and you may have to do it red hot.

then to get it parralell as it will be tapered in thickness youll
need a good strong rolling mill, preferaby powerd.

also you might need to do that hot.

If you can overcome these difficulties then incorporating this
material in your designs is the next step.

if for example your incorporating it in say cuff links then set it
just like a stone, with a rub over setting.

It will braze to other metals, but the heating will change the
appearance. am original idea, but interpretation will be a challenge
for you.

ted.

32

Hi Jason,

There are a few posters on this list that can supply you, I’m sure
they will speak up.

This is the “fun” thing about pattern welded steels… they differ
depending on the alloys used in their creation.

I don’t think cold rolling would be a good idea for pattern welded
steel, you could probably get away with pure iron and fine silver,
but you would need to have a separate pickle exclusively for them.
Steel and rollers aren’t a nice combination, unless you can afford to
buy new rollers all the time.

IMO the safest way to incorporate pattern welded steel with precious
metals is to use hard connections, rivets, screws, things like that.

Regards Charles A.

33

Jason,

Do you want stainless, carbon steel or titanium as the patterned
material?

http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/1zu
http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/1zv
http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/1zw

Generally speaking the cold forging of laminated product is to be
avoided…though the non-carbon stainless materials and copper based
mokume do cold form well till they work harden. I believe in hot
work for most all of what I do, but it was the fire which first
attracted me to metals in the first place.

Ted’s suggestion of reworking old gun barrels is also good…the old
barrels have a bad reputation of not handling modern powder
pressures…which they were never designed to contain. I keep hoping
someone will commission a modern made barrel for modern use as it
would be a fun project.

Ric Furrer
Sturgeon Bay, WI

34

Ok, you can buy an all stainless version in several patterns and
configurations from this site.

This material is made using a powder metalurgy technology. Atlanta
Cutlery carries rough blades in damascus, but it seems a shame to cut
one up for materials. That said, they’re cheap enough and re-selling
the material in jewelry would still make it profitable. Here’s the
page:

There are two methods of exposing pattern in this material. In the
all stainless varieties, you can have a smooth, level surface and a
coloring agent (gun blueing) will get a reaction more on one metal
than the other in the combination. But most damascus uses 2 or more
metals of differing carbon content. The higher the carbon level, the
more reactive it is to etchants. This means a finished surface can be
etched and will develop a topography, lowering the level of the
higher carbon steel. Then it can be colored and the high areas
re-finished to a brighter color. Choice of etchant varies, depending
on metal alloys used. I’ve used ferric chloride (my preferred),
sulphuric, citric, and nitric (good for high carbon but a dangerous
acid to handle). The sulphuric and nitric acids are used in dilute
form, never reagent strength, but citric and ferric chloride (a solid
dissovled in water, available at Radio Shack for etching circuit
boards) are ok in their packaged forms (citric a powder to be
dissolved in water).

As for working with the material, it’s usually easiest to work it at
a low orange heat. But it can be machined, filed, sawed, etc.,
provided it’s in an annealed state. Annealing a carbon steel is the
opposite of annealing non-ferous metals. Heat above a red heat and
allow to cool very slowly. Re-hardening shouldn’t be necessary in a
jewelry article but tempering would certainly be required for a knife
or other tool. This process would depend on the types of alloys used.
You can solder steel with silver or gold solders, but you need a
paste flux usually as it oxidized pretty easily and oxides will
inhibit solder flowing.

So, to wrap it up, you can saw, drill, file, forge (orange to yellow
hot), machine this metal. Solder, rivit, whatever. Expect to finish
to a 600 grit finish, etch to produce topography, then brighten the
highlights with 600 grit, and even polish if you like (I think 600
grit is a good finish as it shows pattern better than polished).

I’ve made a lot of this material in my life, going back to my first
success in 1976. I worked with Daryl Meier, had workshops with Hank
Nickmeyer, learned a lot from Rick Smith (Southern Illinois U.
professor). Did some grunt work on a knife commissioned by then Gov.
Tommy Thompson and given to George Herbert Walker Bush.

David L. Huffman

35

Hey Ric,

I keep hoping someone will commission a modern made barrel for
modern use as it would be a fun project.

Jim has done a pattern welded barrel, just ask him about it.

Regards Charles A.

36

This was so interesting for me to read.

My husband and I own a winery (I’ve been making jewelry since 1998)
and, this past weekend I met a very nice family who just moved to
Nebraska, from TN and visited our winery. The two boys are home
schooled. The, boy who just turned 15 was telling me how he learned
how to make knives, out of railroad spikes from someone in TN. He’s
doing a lot of, different things and said he also make his own
damascus. I just really, enjoyed visiting with him and was very
impressed.

He also wants to set stones in the handle of some of the knives. He,
said he would make an indentation big enough for the stone and set
it, with epoxy, but then he said he would need to use a belt sander
on the, steel to get a nice smooth finish. I told him I thought the
heat could, crack the stone.

Any advice I can give him or websites I can forward on to him? I’ll,
give him the info below.

Thanks,
Holly Swanson

37 
I've read many of the posts and responses about
Damascus/Pattern-welded steel and was wondering about some of the
working characteristics.

[snip]

I am also looking to source some of the Pattern-welded sheet, say
18g, and different styles.

As has been said, sourcing pattern welded steel may be difficult. I
would try to locate a blacksmith or bladesmith near you. If they
don’t do pattern welding, they will surely know or know of someone
who does. My suggestion is to get pieces of off cut. Making pattern
welded steel is very labor intensive, and I doubt many blacksmiths
will want to sell an entire billet. You will likely need to further
forge this yourself to get the thickness in sheet you desire, or to
develop the pattern.

(As I write this, I have dimly remembered (or disremembered!) that
some of the knifemaking supply companies may sell blanks for making
various blades made of pattern welded steel.)

You might want to etch the part with nitric acid (or hydrochloric
acid) to emphasize the pattern in the piece. Good luck! If you can’t
find the steel, you might consider mokume gane. It is available from
one or two jeweler’s supply companies, and from Reactive Metals,
which is represented in this forum. Mokume gane also works more like
what you are already familiar with using.

Once more, Good Luck, and enjoy yourself on this project!

38

There are quite a few dealers that sell damascus billets. Here are
three:

http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/ep7z24
http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/ep7z25
http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/ep7z26

As to working. Steels are much more complex alloys than the precious
metals we are used to in jewelry. The working characteristics of a
pattern welded billet will be dependent upon the constituent alloys
used. Steel work hardens much quicker than precious metal and any
major deformation needs to be done hot.

I suspect that the rolling mills designed for the jewelry trade are
not built to withstand the pressures needed to roll steel. I’d
certainly keep red hot metal away from your polished rollers.

I don’t know that you’ll be able to find damascus ready made as thin
as 18ga, but one of the commercial forges may be happy to roll you
out some sheet. If not, you may have to grind it down. Knifemakers
use vertical belt sanders for grinding their blades.

As to soldering, steel takes silver solder quite happily. You may
need a specialized flux for it, though. But you can make quite nice
patterns joining things with rivets, too. And you can make the rivets
out of offcuts of the damascus billet.

Elliot
Elliot Nesterman

39

I had a friend, unfortunately no longer with us, Alan Knight, he was
a wonderful decorative blacksmith employed extensively by the
National Trust on restoration work. He showed me how to produce
patterned steel, he took some old files (carbon steel) sandwiched
them between wrought iron (I believe mild steel will do). He brought
the whole lot up to white heat in his forge sprinkling silver sand on
the metal as a flux and at a very exact temperature, he hammer
vigorously on the anvil to make an initial join. Further heat and
applications of silver sand consolidated the join. He had a treadle
hammer which he used to hammer out the sandwich then folded it over
and fire welded again. Then twisted it and fire welded again. He
could fire weld an iron chain link in a flash, amazing to watch. He
got me doing it but he was the master of the technique.

You can do small scale bits, I’ve use old jewellers needle files for
the carbon steel forged them into mild steel. Its hard work and you
need a forge, an anvil and a big hammer and the temperature of the
metals has to be right. Its good fun i would love to do it again.!

40

Hi Holly,

I’ve heard the alloy in a railroad spike isn’t high carbon, so wont
hold an edge, but it’s an easy fix, just forge weld a piece of high
carbon steel on for the cutting edge.

If he’s going to use glue, tell him to finish the knife first, then
glue the stones in. The problem I see with using the glue, is that
depending on the clarity of the stone, you may see the glue through
the stone.

I did my first bezel set for opal the other day, I set two. My
teacher has bad luck with opals, and every time I put pressure on the
stones, I could see him cringe.

I think a bezel set for the stones could work, or even a heavy claw
would look nice, it depends on the knife design.

Regards Charles A.