WHAT IS DAMASCUS? There are a few methods and forms of Damascus steel where the steel is heated until white hot, then cut and welded in another grain direction, then heated and hammered and repeated many times. It can also be heated and folded then hammered and repeated again and again, or as in an easier to produce method of being layered and fused then hammered thin. As I don't have access to a furness oven or anvil, I have sourced the blades from reliable Japanese makers overseas who know what they are doing. We have spent time testing these blades to prove they are up to standard, with most exceeding my expectation. At the heart of the blades used is VG10 high carbon rust resistant steel, developed in Japan by Takefu Special Steel works company for the high-end chef and kitchen ware knives. It has a Rockwell hardness of 60+/- 2, so the steel is not only very hard, but also strong, and holds an excellent edge and is relatively easy to sharpen. To the core there is added between 3 and 67 layers of stainless all fused and forged to the desired blade thickness billet to produce exquisite wave patterns and these appear once the blade has been ground ready for sharpening. We have blades that will be polished and others etched in Ferric Chloride to enhance the Damascus patterns. SHARPENING AND BLADE SIZES As with all knives they are only as good as the sharpening. I have seen all too often a great knife being ruined by poor sharpening or pull through sharpeners, then being told the knife is rubbish. Avoid tungsten pull through sharpeners as they remove too much of the steel and tend to form a blade only fit for cutting bread. The 8" blade is one of the writer’s personal favourites for snapper up to 50cm, as they are light and manoeuvrable to use. In the fish filleting knife range are 6", 7", 8" and a 10” blades with Olive wood, or hand polished, stabilised coloured maple wood handles. 46 FISHING IN GODZONE MAGAZINE Katanza Knives Top Kit
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