Finishing Damascus

[wmhammond]

Hey, could someone describe for me the proper steps to finishing a Damascus knife after it is heat treated (Assume it was ground to 220 before heat treat). I need to know at what grind to finish the knife, when to etch it, anything else. Thanks guys,

Wallace

 

[Fred Rowe]

Damascus will etch nice at 400 grit if all the lower grit scratches are gone. Clean the blade well in acetone or other cleaner before etching. Etch until you like the looks of the finish, scrubbing with a tooth brush in between and rinsing after. Use window cleaner with ammonia or baking soda to stop the aciding reaction on the surface of the steel when you have it where you want it. You can use 1200 grit paper on a block to bring out the highlights.

Post a pic when you get it etched so we can check the piece out. Fred