FAQs
Are your damascus blades genuine, if yes, what are they comprised of?
- Yes of course. All of our damascus blades are forged from 1095 and 15n20 high and low carbon steel. These layers are melted and folded together to create a unique pattern every time so no two damascus blades of the same style knife could ever be identical. Moreover, our damascus patterns are generally done in a twist pattern however we do sometimes make raindrop pattern as well.
If they're genuine damascus and not just etched, then why are the prices so low in comparison to others?
- Our prices are based upon our time and materials spent on a knife. The average smith charges anywhere from $40 to $120 per hour depending on the complexity of the knife. Now, if you have a hydraulic powered hammer forge, commercial band saws, grinders, and sanders, your process will be much faster as opposed to working from a garage or backyard with an anvil and a hammer. Not to put any home based smiths down in any way whatsoever, just stating the facts that the pricing is heavily based on the time spent on a product. This is not to undermine the quality of a knife from their process, nor to say one is better than the other, it's simply to say that one process is much faster than the other hence the lower cost of labor per knife. Despite all this however, we do get frequently asked by clients why our prices are so high for handmade knives. Again, if you were to compare our products to factory produced machine made knives, then yes, even though they would not classify as handmade knives like ours, they would certainly be much cheaper in cost due to the materials and labor cost it's priced on.
Are your products listed in CAD dollars or USD?
- All of our products listed on our website are listed in USD.
Do you take on custom orders?
- Yes, we take all types of custom orders. The pricing varies on the complexity of the design and materials used.
I would like to purchase multiple units of the same knife but it's only listed as one in stock
- Feel free to send us an email if you require more than one piece of a particular model. We generally spread out our knives to our wholesalers, our tradeshows and leave a handful of pieces for online retail sale. Due to this, some of the knives are not available in a larger quantity. However, the best way to be certain is to contact us via email with the link to the knife in question and we'll let you know it's stock availability.
Care and Maintenance
Are your damascus blades stainless? if not, then what do you recommend as a lubricant to preserve the blade and protect it from rusting?
-As previously mentioned, our damascus blades are comprised of carbon steel and therefore not stainless steel. The majority of high grade knives are made of carbon steel that are hardened anywhere from 50 to 60 hrc on rockwell so that it can keep a sharp edge for a longer period as opposed to standard Stainless steel knives that don't maintain a sharp edge for a long time.
Due to the materials used in making damascus blades, it has to be properly maintained by ensuring it's not left submerged in water and if it is ever washed you should always use a scotch brite sponge that is not too abrasive coupled with standard dishwashing fluid.
Once you have washed the blade the next immediate step would be to wipe it dry, and apply a thin coat of lubricant on the blade. The lubricants we recommend that are readily available and are food-safe are Mineral Oil or Coconut Oil. Coconut oil works just as well as mineral oil whether it's fractionated or solid, however, it will go rancid if it stays on the blade for months overtime - So if the blade is to be used frequently as a chef knife or an edc knife, then yes, coconut oil would be fine as you can wipe the old oil off the blade and apply a new coating every once a month. But if the knife is not meant to be used frequently then we recommend Mineral oil as it lasts much longer.
We also have to mention that the Japanese have been using Tsubaki oil for centuries on their carbon steel blades. Although these are not as inexpensive as mineral or coconut oil, they tend to work a little better than the former two food-safe lubricants. Feel free to use any commercial grade carbon steel lubricants (which last a lot longer) on the blade if the knife is not meant to be used for food-safe purposes. We also do not recommend leaving damascus blades in their sheaths for extended periods of time as the inside of the leather sheath will absorb any moisture/lubricant applied and will dry the blade faster leaving it susceptible to accumulating surface rust.
My damascus blade was not lubricated for a long period and has now accumulated surface rust, what do you recommend for me to get rid of the rust and ensure it doesn't happen again?
- If the knife is not meant to be used for food purposes, then in terms of commercial grade cleaners, the best one we can recommend so far is "Metal Glo" by United Cutlery. We are not affiliated with them in any way but do recommend their product as it works like a charm every single time. The best method to apply that is by squeezing less than a pea sized amount on the blade, and spreading it out on the blade while concentrating heavily on the rusted area. Once you have spread the paste, leave it on for approximately 15 minutes, then use a microfiber cloth with a few drops of mineral oil and rub the blade clean and it will be as good as new.
If the knife is to be used for food purposes then you can use a scotch brite sponge with any standard dishwashing fluid and clean the blade just as you would any other knife. Once the surface rust has been cleaned off, ensure to wipe it dry completely and apply a thin coat of lubricant oil to prevent any future rusting.
Shipping
Which company do you use for shipping within North America?
We use trackable DHL to ship all parcels.
What is your shipment method for International/overseas orders?
For international orders we use DHL Express. For this the buyers are required to provide their contact number when placing their order which we forward to DHL and is only used for shipping purposes. The delivery process with DHL express takes approximately 4 to 5 business days.
After I have placed my order, how soon will it ship out?
We do our very best to ship out any orders within 3 to 5 business days after purchase. There may however be slight delays in the order processing time due to any holidays in between. The delivery process after the order has been shipped out generally takes anywhere from 3 to 5 business days.