The TLC of a user Damasteel blade...?

[1penge]

New owner of a Damasteel Urban Slip-it knife.
Mine is an absolute gem, but like all of my knives it has to be used. Common sense would dictate light use, cutting soft things, things that do not harbour grit. I'd think that rinsing off & wiping the knife after each use would make sense. Regular light lubrication would also be (as Shabazz would say) a "Good thing".

My Urban will be a user for those "step out" occasions, but it will get used. That gorgeous Bjorkman's Twist could hide in a drawer, snug in its Spyderco small case, but then why buy such a lovely blade & keep it from sight. I am so smitten that I've ordered a second C127GPIVD to eventually mod to Ti scales. To be admired & used.

So, how would you take care of Damasteel blades while active using them?
How about sharpening? Ceramic or diamond for these RWL34 & PMC27 steels?
My blade is now super sharp (with teeth), the way I like to keep my edges.

[Buddafucco]

That blade is fancy... but it's tough... and Damasteel is stainless... I don't think rinsing often is needed.
I carry mine and use it for most anything... but I'm not going to be piercing it into any can of beans anytime soon. It would probably do just fine though. The only thing I've seen is pockets discoloring the Ivory G-10. But even that has come clean with a little soap and water. Your pockets may be worse than mine though.
If somebody is close by, I do tend to pull mine out in such a way that it hopefully brings attention to how sweet the pattern on the blade is. With a little wrist twist to catch the light. It's gotten a coupe ooh's and aah's.

[1penge]

Buddafucco, how long have you had your Damasteel Urban?

Yes, with one particular pair of denim shorts my handle quickly turned a lovely shade of baby blue, but as you have said, some mild detergent did bring back its former "ivory" glory. I am already on the lookout though, for a good pair of tan coloured denim (or canvas) jeans that may stain less.

The smooth G10 scales of the Damasteel (as opposed to the rough red G10 of my Heinnie Haynes Urban) feels smooth (for the lack of a better word), provides a comfortable grip & does not slip when wet.

Enjoy the oohs & aahs.

[Evil D]

That blade is fancy... but it's tough... and Damasteel is stainless... I don't think rinsing often is needed.
I carry mine and use it for most anything... but I'm not going to be piercing it into any can of beans anytime soon. It would probably do just fine though. The only thing I've seen is pockets discoloring the Ivory G-10. But even that has come clean with a little soap and water. Your pockets may be worse than mine though.
If somebody is close by, I do tend to pull mine out in such a way that it hopefully brings attention to how sweet the pattern on the blade is. With a little wrist twist to catch the light. It's gotten a coupe ooh's and aah's.

Correct me if I'm wrong but mostof it is stainless? Wouldn't the layers that are etched be more prone to rust? I guess it depends on the steels used for the layers but being able to etch them is part of what gives you the fancy layer effect. The most stainless steels resist etching.

But yeah, it shouldn't need any more attention than the average rust resistant steel.

[Buddafucco]

I'm under the impression that the RWL34 and PMC27 in Damasteel DS93X are both considered stainless. Maybe not LC200n levels of corrosion resistance, but enough that I'm personally not worried about rust.

[curlyhairedboy]

maybe don't open bags of sand and gravel with it, but other than that, it should keep its lovely appearance through normal use.

[1penge]

I do not know very much about modern stainless steels, but have found out that RWL34 & PMC27 steels have 14% & 13% Chromium respectively, which would put this combination into the "stainless" camp.
I'm sill curious though about the "real world" performance of these two steels, layered, twisted & pressed together, as they are in the DS93X Damasteel. How would they survive being regularly subjected to a salty or acidic food environment?

For me, EDC does not mean cutting reams of cardboard, tape or rope. My daily use pocket knives are essentially eating knives, so a (sort of) food prep would be their main purpose in life. Not food prep as in cooking, but essentially eating "with just a knife"
This usually means "whittling" pieces of food (sausage, fruit, cheese, bread etc...) then spearing these pieces, to get them onto your plate or into your mouth.
It may sound weird, but I was taught at a very young age how to draw a small blade towards me, safely. Sure, you got cut once or twice but you quickly learned to control your blade. In my case, I did not even start on a slip-joint, but on a simple friction folder. I envied those few friends that actually flashed their Swiss Army-type knives.

Would my Damasteel blades serve me well for food prep or as an eating knife?

BTW, thank you to all those who responded.

[ZrowsN1s]

I have the 40th Anniversary that I keep pretty. I bought this one to use it. I just haven't used it much yet, I was keeping it pretty for the Calendar contest. It's in que for a reprofile, and then into carry rotation.

[1penge]

ZrowsN1s, when you reprofile your Damasteel blade, what kind stones (hones) would you use?

In my case, I do not consider my DS93X blade to be a super steel, therefore I'm just going to use my regular ceramic stones to perform a reprofiling. After that, to maintain & refine, a strop or perhaps a steel rod.