Process - Damascus

The damascus process uses a billet of stainless steel and a billet of high carbon steel. These two billets are welded together and folded up to 300 times. These layers can even create intricate patterns when folded in specific ways. Once the blade is made, a compound similar to gun-bluing is used to induce a patina over the layers. This step is what creates the contrast between the stainless (which appears shiney) and the high carbon steel (which appears darker or black).