Damascus Foundations

All the knowledge and skills you need to make a variety of Damascus pattern welded steel. You'll develop more ability in one week than you would in a year or two on your own.

Learn the theory and practice of making Damascus steel, and most importantly, spend a week hands-on developing practical skills and learning the small details that make the difference between success and failure.

Learning in our professional workshop using our very large power hammers and industrial hydraulic presses mean quicker results with less sweat. This lets our instructors focus on knowledge and technique, meaning you learn faster and develop the skills you need to make a wider variety of Damascus patterns.

The first day covers the theory and practice of forge welding layers of steel to make the building blocks of patterns. A simple multilayered stack will get you confident at using the hydraulic press to set the welds and the power hammer to draw out the bar.  Cleanup cut restack and repeat to build up the layer count. We will discuss micro-patterning techniques at the end of the day.

The second day will cover forging the crushed W pattern and twisting the bar to draw out the pattern.

Days three and four cover making a mosiac bar. Building the pattern up, squaring off sections, making an exploded pattern are worked on before looking at opening up the pattern using the Filicetti Flip method.  Lots of work in making this bar.

The last day will be a chance to practice what you have learn in making you last bar.

By the end of the week you should have 4 bars that you can use for other projects - knives, jewelery etc, as well as the confidence to be able to continue to make damascus steel. You will just have to get the big hammers to make it easier.