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When I use 1/4" stock I start with a five piece billet. After one fold I have ten layers. When I use thinner stock I start with a much higher count billet maybe ten layers. After one fold I will have twenty layers. A higher count beginning billet will put you ahead of a lower count billet.

This is the billet after the power hammer flattens it. Following Ed's advice, I put the billet in my paragon with large pieces of steel and heat to 1350 degrees for two hours and then let it slowly cool overnight. Then I pretty much do stock removal with the billet. Any questions, let me...

This is what the billet looks like after the round dies in the press. I will make a full tang knife, so I don't use the round dies the whole length of the billet. Next I put the billet back in the forge to prepare for forging flat under the 100lb power hammer. I know in a Damascus ladder...

I use these dies to put sort of a ladder pattern in the billet.

This what the billet looks like after being drawn out by the power hammer. Next I put the billet back in the forge and put 1" round dies in the press.

This is what the billet looks like after the press. The pieces for the billet are 3" long and 1" wide. This will make a billet of 9" x 1/4" x 1 1/2". Next I go to my 100lb little giant power hammer and draw the billet out. I hit the flat and also the edge of the billet.

Then I stack them up and using my wire welder I weld all the seams shut. After welding on a handle I put it in the forge which has been running and is over 2200 degrees. I leave in the forge for maybe 10 minutes to be sure it is up to heat, then go to my press.

Ok, I start with five pieces of steel. two 1/4" pieces of 410 SS, two 1/8" of 15N20, and one 1/4" 0-1. I grind off all scale and stack, the SS on the outside, next is the 15N20, then the O-1 in the center.

Thanks, every one. If you like, I could do a WIP on how I did it. Let me know if you would like to see it.

About a year ago I asked for advice concerning San-mai blades. Ed Caffery took the time to write a long post with some very good advice on the making of San-mai blades. This saved me hours and hours of frustration. I was planning on fluxing a SS billet with a 0-1 core and weld it like...

Thanks, Karl, I will follow your suggestion.

Karl, thanks for the suggestion.

Karl, thanks for the answer. I made a SanMai blade of wrought iron and 1082 and used my ladder pattern dies on it. It turned out like this. I was thinking if the ladder dies worked on the San-Mai stainless billet it would have a good pattern. My billet is 3/16 " 410 ss on the outside and the...

Karl, you make the most beautiful stainless San-Mai I have ever seen. Thanks for the pictures. What shape are your drawing dies? If I used ladder pattern dies do you think the billet would separate? Also, after grinding off the stainless fire scale, I can see why some leave it on.

Thanks to Ed Caffrey and Bill Burke for information they gave on making stainless San-Mai. This was my first attempt. It's a core of 1084 between two layers of 410 stainless. I thought about using my ladder die on the blank, but have heard that it's easy to separate the 1084 and the...

Glad I could be of help.

Weaver Leather has a knife similar to yours. It's called a "Bevel point shoe & leather knife." The blade measures 3/4" x 2 3/4"

Aquafortis is a acid, Nitric, I think. It will stain 1095 steel. There is a very good U-tube video on using Aquafortis. Go to the U-tube site and try typing in Aquafortis and see if you don't get it.

Thanks, great idea.