3 EASY things for a perfect Damascus Billet with Graham Clarke Part 1

In this knife-making topic video, Graham Clarke talks to us about how EASY it is to make a Damascus Billet for your knife just by following his guide.
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[@brysonalden5414]

Thanks for reminding me that I can always learn something new! I've never ground the surface of my steel after I cleaned it, always the other way around. I'm going to try cleaning and then grinding on my next billet.

[@grahamclarke4470]

Allays the best way 😊😊to

[@andyc750]

so m,uch usefuil information in this video, love it, thanks for doing it

[@UKBladeshow]

Glad it was helpful!

[@18deadmonkeys]

Soooo much value in these videos. Looking forward to Part 2

[@UKBladeshow]

Glad to hear it - part 2 coming real soon!

[@DTKcustomknives]

Good video buddy 👍 always great advice. Davy

[@UKBladeshow]

Cheers Davy!

[@KitchenKnifeGuy]

Great video!

[@UKBladeshow]

Cheers buddy! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ClenioBuilder]

Thanks 👏👏👏🤜🤛

[@UKBladeshow]

Welcome 👍

[@colinoreilly5438]

Brilliant videos ❤

[@UKBladeshow]

Thank you! 😃

[@bernardcaille]

Good one Graham, I'll graduate to using damascus eventually.😁

[@clarkeknives4159]

Sounds good Bernard. My online shop is being upgraded at the moment and I'll let you know when the new shopfront is up and running 😊😊😊😊

[@musikjunx]

Thanks for the video! I have a question: Many people put their billets in Diesel, Acetone, Oil, WD40 or whatnot before putting the billet into the forge. Is that necessary? Compared to everything Graham said it seems to be pretty pointless or contradictory.

[@clarkeknives4159]

I'm inclined to agree. The theory is that the hydrocarbon you've dipped the billet into burns and uses up oxygen between the layers leaving only carbon which is generally harmless to the process. If your atmosphere is genuinely reducing it will achieve the same result (or better 😊😊)

[@sagewilke8980]

What steel should u use if I need to make a clay trim tool that won't get worn down immediately? There are only three options on the market, stainless, carbon steel and tungston carbide. I use clay with a very High "grog" which is basically sand iron and silica that destroys the edge of every tool very quickly especially the expensive carbide tools. Trying to understand edge retention and hardness its hard for me to make a comparison because clay tools are used more like wide lathe tools with a chisel edge but edge retention is measured with a knife cutting motion and I don't know how much hardness is too much

[@grahamclarke4470]

O1 tool steel for carbon steel at 62-63 Rockwell would be my choice. If that’s not sufficiently durable perhaps an off the shelf ceramic Chef’s knife would work

[@sagewilke8980]

@grahamclarke4470 thanks a lot, I'll give it a try as soon as I figure out how to purchase some

[@jeanladoire4141]

I'm curious to see how little of that whole process you can do and still have great looking damascus steel. For exemple in the 1700s and 1800s, they didnt polish their steel before each fold, they just cut and fold and repeat again, just like what the japanese do for their katanas. And if you've looked at a shotgun with damascus barrel, the welds look flawless. Same for katanas, they are folded so many times, and yet they look pristine. And they don't use borax, they use sand or clay as a flux, wich is more tricky. So when you use perfectly flat plates, degreased and everything... I wonder if that's not a bit overkill/unnecessary. From my personal experience (and i stopped grinding anything when i make damascus), if you heat hot enough (yellow is too cold, you want to reach the very first sparks), using sand will work great and leave you with perfect welds. No cleaning, no grinding, no time loss. It's both more efficient, more traditional and cheaper. (I'll precise that i'm working with a charcoal forge tho, but propane should be able to get you to that kind of heat) What would be your thoughts on that?

[@clarkeknives4159]

Working with a coal/coke/charcoal forge has the great advantage that you're heating in a totally oxygen free atmosphere (assuming your conditions are right). That negates the need for any flux and you'll always have a billet free from scale. That's how ancient smiths would have worked and why they had great looking, clean pattern welded steel. When the need for flux did arise I understand that the go to flux was silver sand. It is easy to get the necessary heat from a propane forge running totally gas rich but it's not economic as gas usage is high. That's why I weld gas rich and forge air rich. As long as the decarb is removed after forging I see no problem 😊😊😊😊

[@jeanladoire4141]

@@clarkeknives4159 that's not exactly true, coal and charcoal aren't inherently oxygen free, FAR from it. It's just like propane, if you want to reduce oxygen, you use way more fuel, and the heat is less efficient. It's like turning down the oxygen on a propane burner. I sometimes weld with sand, i use crushed sandstone, just like what old smiths used (the goop from the grindstone was free flux). I only use charcoal for everything i do, i forge oxygen rich and weld oxygen poor, but instead of switching a valve, i modify the shape of the charcoal