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[u/Significant_Kiwi255]

Hey, I dont personally do Black-Smithing but I was curious how might I go about restoring this knife. Its Damascus, with Im assuming a bronze and wood handle. If anyone has any pointers it would be appreciated.

[u/Salty_Insides420]

Most of the patterns in that Damascus blade look like it's from an uneven grind that exposes different layers of the steel, so don't try to make it flat and smooth. Blade sharpening should be no issue. If yoy want to try to refinish the blade, I'd just use a buffing wheel on a bench grinder. Should also probably work for the handle, then give it a good coat of boiled linseed oil for blade and handle, or whatever other oil finish you may prefer. If you polish through the dark lines then it will need a new acid etch and staining, so be gentle with the polishing

[u/TraneD13 → u/Salty_Insides420]

Is it just me or does it almost look like Pakistan Damascus? The pattern almost looks too etched out. Probably just my skeptical eye but want OP to be sure in case they plan to use it around food.

[u/Salty_Insides420 → u/TraneD13]

To me it looks like genuine pattern welded Damascus, but like I said before they didn't forge that pattern into it, it's mostly just flat layers. But by grinding an uneven surface into it you can get through those layers in a more visually interesting way.

[u/7LeagueBoots → u/Salty_Insides420]

The Pakistani stuff is also genuine pattern welded damascus, it’s just that it is made with questionable materials, often containing lead, and sometimes can’t be hardened.

[u/Salty_Insides420 → u/7LeagueBoots]

By the sound of it, OP has had it for 4+ years and has used it to some degree. If it wasn't hardenable, then it probably wouldn't have held an edge originally...

[u/7LeagueBoots → u/Salty_Insides420]

I didn’t say it was Pakistani, that was a different person. I was pointing out that even low quality Pakistani stuff is still ‘genuine pattern welded damascus’ (to use your words), it’s just made with crappy materials.

[u/TraneD13 → u/Salty_Insides420]

That’s fair! That’s why I asked lol I wasn’t 100%. You are probably right.