Take the 2-minute tour ×

Many manufacturers currently offer kitchen knives with Damascus steel blades at a premium.

Besides looking cool do such knifes have any better characteristics compared to simply good forged stainless steel kitchen knives?

share|improve this question

7 Answers 7

At the time of my engineering degree (mid-1990s), the knowledge for true Damascus steel was lost, much like the knowledge of the recipes for the concrete used in the Roman Colosseum.

It's possible that more materials analysis has been performed since that point, as there have been a number of groups who would like to reproduce the process to determine how it compares to modern steel. (museums aren't willing to subject the known pieces to destructive testing).

With modern steel, they intentionally introduce small proportions of other metals to interrupt the crystals that form as the metal is cooled; this helps to improve the strength of the steel as there isn't a single sheer plane that could allow fractures through the whole item. They're also better able to control the cooling process, so that they can control what crystal structure forms in the steel as it's annealed and quenched.

My understanding of true Damascus steel is that it's likely two different crystaline structures, one more ductile (so it can compress to absorb more energy without failing) and the other more brittle (which can hold a sharper edge). The two work together similar to today's composite materials.

Most of the stuff sold on the market today is laminated from two or more metals. In many ways, it's more similar to the folding process of high-quality Japanese blades, but with dissimilar metals. As the sheets are mostly parallel to each other, I would suspect that the strength improvement isn't as high as the more erratic patterns in true Damascus, but this is likely countered by using metals that are independently stronger.

So, to answer the specific questions:

  • Do they have some better characteristics? Probably.
  • Are they worth the additional cost? Not likely for the type of forces they'd be subjected to in a kitchen.

Most people are better off getting some decent but cheap knives and replacing them more often. Victorinox Fibrox regularly wins America's Test Kitchen's ratings of knives.

share|improve this answer

Firstly, true Damascus steel is a historical artifact--I infer you are talking about knives created from steel produced by reproduction methods which are similar.

This is a subjective question--only you can deside whether you find the value proposition favorable. The thing is, the qualities that make (reproduction) Damascus steel special and important (other than aesthetics) are perhaps more important to weaponry rather than culinary application.

The two main charactaristics that come to mind for Damascus steel, in my personal opinion, are:

  • The wave-like pattern in visible in the blade. While this is a side affect of the method of manufacture, and perhaps indicative of other qualities, it is only of aesthetic value.
  • Supposed resistance to shattering while still being able to retain a very sharp edge

Cutlery is not subjected to the same stress as weaponry, where being able to absorb impact stress without shattering is a relevant virtue.

But they are pretty.

My personal subjective opinion: no, not a good value proposition compared to good quality modern knives--either forged or stamped--like Shun, Wustof, Chicago Cutlery, Victorinox, or countless others.

share|improve this answer
you can also add some cool effects to the blades of many knives with acids and patience. –  Brendan Jan 19 '13 at 14:46

As a custom knife builder my answer is simple: Yes and no. Some damascus blades are cheaply made and consist of simple layered steel or flattened steel cable that is etched to produce the lines that many people find attractive. They are definitely not worth any extra cost and in fact are easily outperformed by regular modern kitchen knives of moderate to good quality. In fact since these damascus blades are only formed from ordinary steel they will rust quite easily, must be maintained regularly and will not hold a keen edge.

Other types of damascus steel is made from layers of stainless steel (that results in a much more subtle pattern) but also has an inner core of high carbon specialty steel like VG-10. This type of damascus is far more expensive of course but produces a blade of superior quality as well as one that looks very cool. It will hold its edge longer because of the hardness of the inner core but will also be very durable due to the layers of more flexible and stain resistant stainless steel.

Whether or not it is worth the extra cost is entirely a personal choice. If you only use your knife to cut up hot dogs and store it in a drawer with the rest of your kitchen utensils, I'd say no. But if you use your knife extensively, like the very best and want a knife that looks (and stays) really sharp, I would say the answer is yes. But do your homework and ask questions. "Damascus" does not automatically mean better.

share|improve this answer

A good blade is a pleasure in your hand to use and look at.

For the last 50 yrs or so I've used the same Trident (Wustof) knives. Feel. Cut. Balance. Can't be beaten. But recently I bough a Torijo Damascus Utility. Straight from Japan delivered for $68.

Balance feel etc. Lighter but good in the hand. And the LOOK of the blade. YEP.. They worth the extra.

share|improve this answer

If you like the way a Damascus blade looks, it can be worth it. If you like a certain manufacturer and their high-end knives are damascus-clad, it can make sense to get those instead of their cheaper lines.

A modern "damascus" knife is simply two sheets of laminated damascus wallpaper around a hard, knife-steel core*. This core layer is going to determine how the knife works, how it cuts. So will the shape of the blade, the angle of the grind, shape of the handle, the weight distribution. Damascus cladding will not, it only changes the look of the knife, and it drives the price up a bit.

*Cladding a hard core with softer steel is a japanese invention. It enabled them to make swords with extremely sharp edges due to the hard core, without making the blade brittle. Soft steel is flexible, allowing the blade to flex without breaking. Damascus cladding has no functional differences to soft steel cladding. There are no downsides to it, other than the price.

Correction: The Japanese Sword makers clad a soft flexible core with a hard exterior. The cutting edge was produced from the exterior layers which had a high carbon content, and was additionally tempered before the final sharpening. The pattern on a Japanese sword was created by folding the metal and not by mixing it the way a Damascus blade was forged.

share|improve this answer

Damascus steel offers no benefits over other types of good quality steel. They look cool, but don't do anything that other knives can't do much cheaper.

share|improve this answer

Damascus steel has a cutting edge that is superior to all knives. Not only that, damascus steel holds a razor sharp edge longer, i.e. it's a super hard metal! Damascus steel is better used in a work place setting than in a city slicker setting. But yea it is purdy. Stainless steel is the safest to use in the household - it doesn't rust and you don't don't need a tetanus shot.

share|improve this answer
Welcome to Seasoned Advice. I've edited your answer to fix all the spelling/grammar mistakes/omissions. In any case, as others have pointed out, it's definitely not the case that all damascus steel knives are better than all other knives (there's a lot of variation in quality) so -1. –  Jefromi Jun 19 '13 at 23:11
Being super hard doesn't guarantee longer edge preservation. Hard materials can be brittle and simple break when encountering an obstacle. –  sharptooth Jun 20 '13 at 6:14

Your Answer


