what to do

Gahagan

Gahagan

Well-Known Member
Ok I bought a piece of stainless damascus at the blade show. Well I am trying to get the best profit out of this bar. I want to make a bowie but am not sure I would get the money I need out of it. I can get twho hunters out of it but again am not sure baout getting the price out of it. What would the recomendtion be. Bowie or hunters?
 
How large is the piece? Here's a thought- A large bowie might sit around longer before it sells due to the size and greater overall cost, where two smallish hunters are likely to sell off one at a time a little quicker. I'd do an estimate of your shop hours for the bowie versus the two hunting knives and figure out how much the bar is likely to make you in each configuration, too.
 
That's one only you can answer.

Which do you sell more of? Which do you get a better cost of materials to sell price for?

This one of the learn as you go steps in knife making.

Good luck!

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com/
 
I sell about the same amount of both. The piece of steel is 2.5x12. I just have never used stainless damascus and dont know how people look at it compared to regular damascus. This piece was almost 3 times the price of regular damscus so I have alot in it to start off and cant sell it for what I would for a carbon damascus blade.
 
Hmmm...at 2.5 x 12 you may be able to carefully rip it lengthwise with a narrow cut off wheel into two ~1.25 widths, then cut those into six inch long pieces for hidden tang hunters. Maybe if you are a welder with stainless experience you could add tang extensions. At 2.5" wide that's got a lot of potential to be a very large bowie with some interesting blade sweep or recurve to it. I'm excited to see what you choose to do with this large billet.
 
The Hunters may work better for buyers that prefer a Stainless Steel?

Nice size billet, Do you know who made it?
I would like a billet of that in that size to make Culinary knives with.

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com/
 
Mike Norris made the piece it is 2.5x12x1/4
I was planning on welding some stainless bolts to the ends to get the most use out of which ever desighn I make.
 
Make hunters. The bowie is a traditional replica type blade that is unlikely to ever be actually used. Damascus is pretty for the job, but stainless is just a waste. There is a chance the hunters may be used and stainless outshines carbon damascus for a field use knife. The whole idea of stainless is to stand up under use. Who uses a high end bowie?

<cringe> I can feel it coming..... :34:

Rob!
 
Knifemaker.ca said:
Make hunters. The bowie is a traditional replica type blade that is unlikely to ever be actually used. Damascus is pretty for the job, but stainless is just a waste. There is a chance the hunters may be used and stainless outshines carbon damascus for a field use knife. The whole idea of stainless is to stand up under use. Who uses a high end bowie?

<cringe> I can feel it coming..... :34:

Rob!
Click to expand...

Yes, I agree with Rob,
Like I mentioned the Stainless will hold up better in the field. Also you will have two lesser priced knives which should sell easier that a huge Bowie.

Mike Norris makes some fine stainless Damascus! I'm sure it looks great and has excellent welds.

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com/
 
I was planning on welding some stainless bolts to the ends to get the most use out of which ever desighn I make.
Click to expand...

That statement worries me. I would STRONGLY suggest that you DO NOT try to weld something to it in order to make the material "go further". The reason? I'm familiar with the alloys Mike uses, and the only way your going to get a solid/durable connection is to TIG weld, then go through normalizing and annealing the whole thing. If you don't do this, you will likely see those knives again because they WILL come apart where you "added" to them. Don't get so wrapped up in getting the most you can out of the billet, that you end up sacrificing something else.
 
Ed has a valid point here.
I had not thought about welding the Stainless with a Carbon steel or what ever you were going to do. I have always used the bar stock for the tang. Besides, If you etch the tang and recess the handle a bit, It gives a great look of the Damascus all the way around the tang.

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
 
Ed I do tig my stainless and normalizeand anneal the area where I tig it. I have welded stainless for years and have not ever had a problem with it yet.I only weld on a 1 inch section to attach a tang nut to I dont trust more than that.
 
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Then your in good shape! That comment wasn't intended to be insulting.....just a warning. FAR too many folks purchase damascus billets, then try to "stick" or MIG weld "extra" on to make the billet go further (most never consider the dissimilar materials issue, and never do any thermal cycles)....and end up with troubles later when angry customers send back a "broken" knife. Even doing it the "right way" is taking chances. Personally, I simply will not do it to anything that would be sold, or leave my shop.....it's just too big of a risk to me.
 
Not insulted at all. I was told the same thing by Gil Hibben because he said he made that mistake before and now does it to all his blade. I appreciate you informing me so I would not make that mistake. As I said I only weld on a small piece to the tag to lenghten it a little so I can screw on a tang nut. I still have alot of original tang inside the handle but dont run it the full length. sort of like this
imagesCA0VDVOG.jpg
 
Looking at the pic, and now understanding more about what you're doing, I think I would be inclined to solder that threaded rod in place versus welding it.....I think soldering would create far less possible issues than welding.
 
Never thought of soldering it. I could do that as well. Thanks for that. Maybe I will try that and see how it works out.
 
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