FAQ

No.  Damascus can never be stronger than a mono steel.  In the past, the steel had imperfections in the steel.  So  the steel  would be folded to make the imperfections smaller and smaller.  Today's methods  create a uniform piece of steel and there is no advantage to folding.  Damascus today is for aesthetic purposes only. But it does look great!

Damascus takes a lot more time to create.  Plus each time you put steel in the fire, some of it is lost due to scale, the burnt steel from oxygen interacting with the steel and heat.  Depending on the type of damascus, as much as 60% of the steel can be lost to the creation process.  The steel cost and fuel cost for the fire are one part of it.  See my blog post on damascus loss. https://solarstorm.ca/blog/f/the-cost-of-damascus and Steel Loss on YouTube

Plus, there is the risk of a delamination where the layers fail to weld to each other.  When this happens, the entire piece is usually scrap.  This risk is usually balanced over a number of pieces.

Unlike Forged in Fire that stresses the craft by forcing the bladesmiths to create a blade in a small amount of time, a quality knife can take between 20 and 80 hours to create. 

A number of factors, steel type, damascus pattern, is it a CuMai, handle type, guard type, knife type and shape, knife size, handle material, sheath or scabbard types.  All are factors that affect the length of time and cost.

Material costs for a blade can run between $50 and $300 or even $400.  I typically only do custom orders so that you get exactly what you want.  This includes designing your knife and giving you that design before we even start the build.  A deposit secures your place in my build order so that you get your knife as quickly as possible.

I have done numerous blades where the people have supplied handle material.  Usually this an antler from a memorable hunt, or a special piece of wood or burl, found on a hike or from a special tree.  I may have to stabilize or treat the material before use.  

The bulk of my orders have been in Canada, however, I have shipped to the United States, Australia and Brazil.  Shipping costs depend on size and urgency.  I cannot be responsible for local laws or border charges.

CuMai, or nickle Mai, is a complex process.  It Combines a damascus piece with copper or nickel shims around a solid core.  The temperature control must be precise and exceeding the melting point of copper will ruin a piece of steel.  The quenching of different types of steel lends itself to different cooling rates making delaminations between the layers that much riskier.  CuMai has a failure rate of approx 25% based on stories from other smiths.  To date, I have had one.  https://youtube.com/shorts/btZgFZgtXmU?si=0yKdeWWaWErELRCa

Yes and no.  Bladesmithing is a very solo process.  Instruction is available where you can make your own blade.  Unlike what you see on the TV shows, bladesmithing usually involves many hours in front of the 2x72 grinder and hours of hand sanding.  This is a lonely solo process that usually involves some good music.

Yes.  However watching for 80 hours can be quite boring.  Bladesmithing can be noisy as well so conversation can be limiting.  I do try and film and take pictures all of the way through a process so the customer can feel like they are part of the build.  At the completion, I deliver not only a fine Solar Storm Blade, but also the pedigree of how it is made.  See this video as example of what you can expect, all of the way through the process on the articles page Making CuMai or

https://www.youtube.com/@solarstorm50

I can do upto a 24" blade with my current equipment.  Most EDC, Every Day Carry, knives are 4 to 6 inches.  Hunting knives are usually 6 to 12 inches, and survival knives tend to be on the larger size. 

Yes! and this is one the more common requests.  Over 50% of the knives I make come more than one sheath.  I understand that your custom knife will be used in different situations.  You may want to carry it on your hip, or a cross draw or a scout or baldric carry.  All of these are options.  I can do both leather and Kydex sheaths.

All of my blades are meant to be used.  In fact I would be disappointed if they werent.  Most of the blades are quenched to a hardness of ~62HRC and tempered back to ~58HRC