Finally got a clean weld on a Damascus billet after three tries

Last week in my little backyard shop, I was working on a new billet for a chef's knife. The first two tries, the weld just wouldn't take right and I had to cut it apart. I was getting pretty frustrated! I went back and really focused on getting every single scale off the steel, and I cranked my little propane forge a bit hotter than usual. On the third try, I pulled it out of the fire and gave it a tap with the hammer, and it just stuck perfectly. The whole thing held together through the whole drawing out process. It's such a simple thing, but it feels like a huge win. Has anyone else had a specific trick that finally got their forge welds to behave?

3 comments

3 Comments

grant1302mo ago

Three tries is nothing for Damascus. I've seen guys wreck a dozen billets before getting a clean weld. It's just part of the process.

karen_martin2mo ago

Totally agree it takes practice... what finally clicked for me was just cleaning everything way more than I thought was needed. Got my first solid weld after that. Sometimes it's the simple stuff you overlook.

jessefoster27d ago

@grant130 said something similar in the discord server I'm in. He mentioned how flux can be a crutch if you aren't careful with your prep work. Read a post on BladeForums about a guy who swore by using a wire brush on the billet right before sticking it in the fire. Tried that on my last weld and it seemed to help a ton. Getting every bit of scale off makes such a difference. It really is just the simple stuff that messes you up.