A thousand years ago, forged knives from Damascus steel made the city of Damascus a real weapon center. A cold weapon with blades of Damascus steel was distinguished by a high price, it was difficult to buy, even if money was available. The thing is that this steel is very labor-intensive in production. In addition, the secret of making Damascus steel was very zealously guarded by local blacksmiths, who passed the family secrets only from generation to generation. The only analogue of this solid steel was made possible for the Japanese, who used such metal to make their legendary Katanas. And Russian blacksmiths were famous for damask steel from damask steel.
Damascus steel is multilayer in structure, in the middle of the blade there is a solid core, which is repeatedly wrapped in the finest layers of steel. By the end of the 20th century, the situation with Damascus steel was fundamentally changed by the Japanese, who were able to accurately reproduce the blade, forged in the same way.
Chef's knives from Damascus steel
What is better than the usual chef's knives from Damascus steel, do you need such a heavy metal in the kitchen? These knives are very resistant to various aggressive environments, which are often found in the kitchen (alkaline, acidic). This acquisition is accompanied by only one unpleasant nuance - the cost. But you should understand that buying kitchen knives from Damascus steel is a one-time investment, because it is not possible to spoil them in the course of standard operation. This kitchen knife made of Damascus steel is blunted at times less, the cut gives a perfectly even, working with such a tool is a pleasure. All the operations that need to be done with a knife in the kitchen are much faster: shredding, cutting, cutting - everything turns out in a matter of seconds! Having bought a set of real kitchen knives from Damascus steel, you will not need to purchase this inventory for the rest of your days.
Sharpen knives from Damascus steel
In this section we will advise how to properly care for a damask knife, in particular, to sharpen it. When sharpening knives from Damascus steel it is very important to keep the desired angle of inclination. Ideal is considered an option as close as possible to 90 °. This will allow to sharpen the knife evenly, which will give it excellent cutting properties. The ratio of the cutting plane of the blade to the bar should be maintained around 20-25 °. Try to keep this angle unchanged, then you will get the right knife sharpened from the first time. Make sure that when you reach the end of the grindstone bar, you simultaneously reach the end of the knife. Carefully watch that the knife does not fall off the bar, then you can scratch its lateral surface. Do not over-press the bar - this will not speed up the work, but, on the contrary, make it difficult. If you perform sharpening in a hurry, then you will hardly be able to observe the exact angle.
The best Damascus steel knives
In fairness, we can say that to date, the best knives from Damascus steel still produce in Japan. It should be noted that the Japanese produce the highest quality products, which simply will not have any reason to complain. The most popular brands in this industry are Kasumi, Hattori, Tojiro, Samura. Some European manufacturers also delight consumers with fairly tolerable kitchen knives.