Fracture Damascus steel
Here is a list of Fracture Damascus steel that is available immediately. The price INCLUDES shipping with DHL courier delivery to your door anywhere in the world.
Please E-mail me with the number of the bar you would like to purchase: bertie@rietveldknives.com
Paypal is accepted
If you want a specific bar that is not on the list, mail me and I can make it for you, takes around a week
Please E-mail me with the number of the bar you would like to purchase: bertie@rietveldknives.com
Paypal is accepted
If you want a specific bar that is not on the list, mail me and I can make it for you, takes around a week
Copyright © 1999 - 2024 Bertie Rietveld - Distinctive Knife Creations
Heat Treatment and Colouring of Dragonskin Damascus
Heat Treatment
Before heat treatment, make sure the blades are straight. This is important, because heat treatment does not straighten blades for you! Don’t expect good colour if you don’t heat treat items such as rings or bottle openers.
Preheat Furnace to 830° C (1526F), place blade in and when furnace is back to temp remove quickly and quench in medium or fast quenching oil. For best results limit the time the blade spends at this high temperature. It is a basic carbon steel and does not require soaking at temp. Make sure your oil is right next to your furnace. If you can coat the blades with Condursal or similar oxidation inhibiting product. What also works great is using a high heat rattlecan spraypaint, I use Rust-O-Leum. My blades spend less than 10 minutes in total in the furnace. You can also place a charcoal briquettes in the bottom of the furnace to burn up the oxygen. Do not use foil packets as this takes too long to remove, you need to be quick with the quenching.
You can vary the depth of the blade in the oil when quenching but do not move it sideways as cold oil comes into contact with one side of the blade and will surely warp it.
Temper at 180-200° C (356-392° F) for 1 hour. Use your discretion, for delicate blades go for the higher temp and sturdy blades can be tempered at the lower temp.
Fracture is quite stable and should not warp but……
If the steel should warp during heat treatment, anneal, straighten and re-treat, but it would probably affect the steel’s quality.
Anneal by heating to 650–700ºC (1202-1292° F) and cool slowly by inserting blade in a container of vermiculite to cool.
Or you can heat the spine slightly with a small torch and straighten….very carefully! This may leave a mark when you colour the blade as the heating with a torch alters the structure of the steel.
Layout of blades on the bar of steel and some other tips.
As the Fracture bars are forged and not rolled like conventional steel, here are some tips to ensure you get the most out of the steel: This actually goes for all forged Damascus billets.
Always position the blade so that the cutting edge is as far from the sides as possible.
Always position the blade so that the back end of the blade corresponds with the end of the bar, tip facing inwards.
Leave cutting edges about 1mm thick before heat treatment, and final grind afterwards being careful not to overheat the edge. New belts!
Before heat treatment, make sure the blades are straight. This is important, because heat treatment does not straighten blades for you! Don’t expect good colour if you don’t heat treat items such as rings or bottle openers.
Preheat Furnace to 830° C (1526F), place blade in and when furnace is back to temp remove quickly and quench in medium or fast quenching oil. For best results limit the time the blade spends at this high temperature. It is a basic carbon steel and does not require soaking at temp. Make sure your oil is right next to your furnace. If you can coat the blades with Condursal or similar oxidation inhibiting product. What also works great is using a high heat rattlecan spraypaint, I use Rust-O-Leum. My blades spend less than 10 minutes in total in the furnace. You can also place a charcoal briquettes in the bottom of the furnace to burn up the oxygen. Do not use foil packets as this takes too long to remove, you need to be quick with the quenching.
You can vary the depth of the blade in the oil when quenching but do not move it sideways as cold oil comes into contact with one side of the blade and will surely warp it.
Temper at 180-200° C (356-392° F) for 1 hour. Use your discretion, for delicate blades go for the higher temp and sturdy blades can be tempered at the lower temp.
Fracture is quite stable and should not warp but……
If the steel should warp during heat treatment, anneal, straighten and re-treat, but it would probably affect the steel’s quality.
Anneal by heating to 650–700ºC (1202-1292° F) and cool slowly by inserting blade in a container of vermiculite to cool.
Or you can heat the spine slightly with a small torch and straighten….very carefully! This may leave a mark when you colour the blade as the heating with a torch alters the structure of the steel.
Layout of blades on the bar of steel and some other tips.
As the Fracture bars are forged and not rolled like conventional steel, here are some tips to ensure you get the most out of the steel: This actually goes for all forged Damascus billets.
Always position the blade so that the cutting edge is as far from the sides as possible.
Always position the blade so that the back end of the blade corresponds with the end of the bar, tip facing inwards.
Leave cutting edges about 1mm thick before heat treatment, and final grind afterwards being careful not to overheat the edge. New belts!
