Hi!

I'm looking for a bar of 'damascus', a fat 1/4" by 1" by 24". A simple mix of 1050, 1084, and 1095. With a mokume look to it.

I know, I know, there won't be a big strong pattern. But I want some none the less.

Do you know of anyone that makes that?

Steve

Hi!

I'm looking for a bar of 'damascus', a fat 1/4" by 1" by 24". A simple mix of 1050, 1084, and 1095. With a mokume look to it.

I know, I know, there won't be a big strong pattern. But I want some none the less.

Do you know of anyone that makes that?

Steve
That's a rather big bar for most. And that mix won't give much of a contrast at all. Why does it have to be those three steels? And why three, why not two?

Hi Larrin,

Certainly could be 1050 and 1095. That would also work. Actually I'm looking for a very faint pattern for a tanto. Yeah I know there's lots more to Japanese swords than that, but still I wanna try.

Dimensions don't have to be exact either. I'll be pounding it anyway. IOWs 3/4" wide is probably OK too.

Does that make sense?

Steve

Steve:
Sounds like an intresting idea you have. Are you wanting to get the look of Tamahagane?
Or the "watered steel" look?

Im just wondering out load here, If you were going for that look, would you get any thing from using say 1095 and just welding it to itself? Would the decarb seams not still be visible? Like I said, just wondering aloud here, but to me if you took a billet of diffrent thicknesses of the same material and took it up to a high layer count, say 300-500, I think you should be able to see somthing. Im sure there are folks here with MUCH more knowledge on the subject than me, but Id be really intrested in hearing what some folks thought.

God Bless
Mike

You could just use 1084 (or 1075/1080) and 15n20. Make the knife but polish without etching. You will get a faint pattern that shows better when you look at it from an angle.

Steve:
Id be istrested in talking to you about making some steel for your project, drop me a note at mikegarner69@hotmail.com

steve you are on the right trail if you are interested in japanesse swords. 1095 and 1084 are two different steels that people will say are the same. They are not. Look at there chemical compasition and what each does in steel. This is important. As for 1050 i have not work with it but it is like the other two. Look at the chemical comp. You will get pattern if you treat the steel right. If you want something interesting, any of these, w1, w2, 1080, re-bar ( this one take some skill ) 1095, 1084, files and any carbon based steel that is low on alloys. 15n20 is 1075 with nickel added so it does not take a temper line, but it does weld nice. And don't forget to learn to anneal. normalize, and polish as they are just as important. If I can help let me know. Raymond Johnson

Steve,
That's the same mix I've been using lately. Here's one which has that:

http://home.armourarchive.org/members/krag/tanto60t.JPG (http://home.armourarchive.org/members/krag/tanto60a.JPG)

The skin layers are 1050/1095 starting with 0.030" strips of each. The core was 1084 steel. The imgae above was done on a scanner, so the contrast looks greater than what the blade actually shows. In "true" viewing, the design is very subtle. My toast cutter project has 1050, 1095 and 1084 all in the mix with a 1084 core. I'll have pics of it next weekend.