Watch how this breathtaking Copper Damascus knife is forged from start to finish





If you haven’t heard of Damascus Steel, here’s a good primer. In short, it’s a style of metallurgy with origins in Damascus (now modern Syria) that’s characterized by a beautifully marbled design made by forging two metals together to create something greater than the sum of its parts. Typically, as its name suggests… Damascus Steel is made from different types of steel (with different properties), although fold a little copper in and you’ve got something that looks even more amazing!

The video above captures the behind-the-scenes as Denis Tyrell, a Californian bladesmith, forges his Copper Damascus Bowie Knife. An interesting factoid about Damascus metals is that the true art of making this marbled metal was lost to history. Over the years, people began experimenting with different forging techniques to recreate the metal, and although there’s no way of knowing if any of those processes are authentic, the term Damascus Steel is loosely used to describe the metal. In this video, Tyrell forms a billet using Damascus Steel procured from fellow YouTuber Salem Straub. He proceeds to create a billet by sandwiching different sheets of metal together and welding their edges. The billet uses two Damascus plates, two copper plates, two 15N20 nickel steel plates, and a 1095 steel core right in the center of the metal ‘sandwich’.

Once forged in his kiln, Tyrell proceeds to cut out the knife’s profile and finish it off by grinding, sanding, etching, and polishing the blade. Once the blade’s ready, he carves the ornate handle out of different materials, using copper, mammoth molar, and an epoxy block from Oleg Bashkevich, known for making resin blocks for knife-handles. The resulting knife is an absolute beauty. The copper ‘scar’ running across the Bowie knife feels just perfect, as it almost resembles the lightning bolt running down David Bowie’s face in his album Aladdin Sane. I’m pretty sure that’s entirely coincidental, though! Tyrell alternates between selling his pieces either on Etsy or off his Instagram page. Sadly, this one already got snapped up by an eager buyer, but I’m keeping an eye out for his next piece!

Designer: Tyrell Knifeworks

Victorinox Releasing Limited Edition Damascus Steel Swiss Army Knife

Sure, you might be lost in the woods, but at least you have your everyday carry (EDC) Victorinox Swiss Army Knife. And not just any Swiss Army Knife, oh no, one of a 6,000-piece limited edition with a Damascus steel blade. You’re about to make those woods wish they’d never gotten you turned around in the first place!

The $400 Swiss Champ Damast Limited Edition 2021 features a “Bjorkmans Twist” patterned Damascus steel blade and exterior grip constructed of forged carbon scales. It includes 29 tools to ensure you stand the best chance of MacGyver-ing yourself out of whatever sticky situation you’ve gotten yourself into. Or, you know, opening the Amazon box that just arrived.

I want one. Granted I already have the exact same knife in classic red (sans the carbon exterior and Damascus steel blade), but can you really have too many Swiss Army knives? My heart is saying no but my wife is saying yes and taking my debit card out of my wallet and running upstairs to hide it.

[via Maxim]

This handy piece of limited-edition EDC is made entirely from Damascus Steel!

The Boker Merlin is made entirely from Damascus steel

Barring the pivot and the two screws that hold the handle and blade together, the Boker Merlin is entirely made from the legendary marbled metal. Created as a special edition, the variant is based off one of Boker’s classic designs by Wilfried Gorski. Partnering with Chad Nichols, a trained steel-smith who’s perfected the art of making corrosion-resistant Damascus Steel, Boker spared quite literally no effort by building every component of the knife from the marbled metal, right from the blade to the handle, to even the back spacer and interlock slider.

The result is a fairly classic and light-weight pocket knife that’s completely stunning to look at and one-of-a-kind. Limited to just 398 pieces (199 for USA and 199 for Europe), each knife comes with a certificate of authenticity, a unique serial number, and a pretty hefty price tag, but where else would you find a 100% Damascus Steel knife?

Designer: Wilfried Gorski for Boker

The Boker Merlin is made entirely from Damascus steel

The Boker Merlin is made entirely from Damascus steel

The Boker Merlin is made entirely from Damascus steel

The Boker Merlin is made entirely from Damascus steel

The James Brand Damascus Chapter Knife looks literally and figuratively ‘sharp’

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The Chapter remains perhaps one of my most favorite knives ever. This is in part because they’re designed by The James Brand, a company that gets that sharp knives don’t need to look aggressive or tactical, and that they can channel a much more dapper aesthetic. Their knives sport a much more classy, urbane design language, and look like something a secret spy like James Bond would carry in his tuxedo (that’s not why the company is called James Brand, but it would make a great story).

The Chapter gets the distinction of being a knife I love sheerly for its simplicity. It doesn’t overdo any element, and everything is measured, collected, and ‘just right’. Then comes the Chapter’s Damascus Steel Edition, which somewhat feels like ‘classic’ meets ‘exotic’.

Encased in the black-oxide coated stainless steel casing with a titanium frame lock construction lies the blade, a drop-point straight blade made from Damascus steel. The drop-point makes the blade work wonderfully for piercing, while the blade’s straight edge works well for cutting and slicing. Sitting atop the stunning blade like a crown jewel is a lime green button that lets you deploy the blade from its folded position. Measuring at just 3.75 inches when closed, the Chapter fits into pockets rather comfortably, and a pocket-clip secures it to your pocket fabric, keeping it easy to access whenever you need. Designed with the aesthetic that works wonderfully both indoors and outdoors, the Chapter Damascus Knife’s matte stainless steel casing tells one story, but flip the marbled, Damascus steel blade open and you’ve got a contrast that’s definitely worth admiring for years to come.

Designer: The James Brand

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