Damascus without etching?

[Colin KC]

Just wondered, as you do, what a carbon steel damascus blade would look like without the etch, if allowed to patinate (?) on it's own. If anybody has an ##ea on this I would appreciate it.


Thanks


Colin

[Ed Caffrey]

The big problem would be rust. You eventually will see a variation between the materials, but it will be only slight. The whole topography that is the pattern in damascus comes from the etchant eating away the different materials at different rates. Enhancement is often accomplished with baking lacquer. I know that after having left a few finished sanded damascus blades on the bench, they tend to get a light film of rust all over the portions that are plain carbon, and some pattern is visible.

[Colin KC]

Thanks Ed,

The question is linked to another that I've asked on the Outpost concerning a natural patination that occurs on clean steel in a dry atmosphere, over a period of months.
Just testing the waters for an ##ea.


Thanks again


Colin