Description
A forged Damascus blade with the layer pattern running the whole length, set against figured burl and hand made steel bolsters.
| Overall length | 9.4 inches |
| Blade length | 4.7 inches |
| Handle length | 4.7 inches |
| Steel | 1095 + 15N20 Damascus, 352 layers |
| Hardness | 58–60 HRC, oil tempered |
| Weight | 7.0 oz |
| Handle | Damascus Balisong Butterfly Knife with handmade steel bolster and wooden handle |
Chosen by: collectors who want the pattern to be real. The banding on this blade is visible in the photograph and visible in the hand, because it is what the steel is made of rather than something printed onto it.
What 352 layers actually gets you
Two steels are folded together here: 1095, which is hard and holds an edge, and 15N20, which carries nickel and resists the etch that darkens the 1095. Acid at the end of the process eats one and spares the other, and that difference is the pattern. Layer count is often quoted as though more is automatically better, and past a point it simply is not: very high counts produce a tighter, quieter figure rather than a stronger blade. Three hundred and fifty two is in the range where the pattern reads clearly at arm’s length. The guide to layer counts explains the arithmetic, and telling real Damascus from a printed pattern shows you what to look for on any knife, ours included.
It will patina, and that is the deal
Damascus of this recipe is high carbon steel. It is not stainless and it never will be. The etched contrast that makes the pattern visible is a surface condition, which means aggressive polishing will fade it and a rusty spot left alone will pit through it. Wipe it dry every time. Keep a whisper of oil on the flats. Store it out of the sheath, because leather holds damp against steel. Handled that way, the blade will develop a gray depth over years that looks better than the day it shipped. Neglected in a drawer in a humid house, it will freckle within a season.
The handle and the bolsters
Burl is the swirled grain from a growth on a tree, so the figure changes every few millimeters and no two handles repeat. The bolsters are forged and fitted by hand rather than cast, which is why the seam where steel meets wood is tight but not machine perfect. At seven ounces and 9.4 inches open, this is a substantial knife. For a different take on brass, wood and Damascus, look at the brass and rose wood Damascus balisong.
Two things to know
Can the pattern be restored if it dulls? Yes, a light re-etch brings it back. We do it in the shop.
Does the burl need sealing? No, it is stabilized already.
Are both sides patterned the same? Close, but never identical. Forging and grinding cut the layers at slightly different depths on each face, so the figure mirrors loosely rather than exactly.
Model: BMK-DB-04
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