I am not a fan of damask, as i see it there are not really any practical gains for doing that, so as a hard core Dane that kind of clash with our design philosophy.
I also spoke to a Danish knife maker ( no not one of the flashy ones ) and he laughed his ass off and said O hell no to damask.
If using the right steels, Damascus has huge advantages.
You can get a harder edge sandwiched between softer steel. This results in better edge retention with less chance of snapping the blade under hard use.
Ugh … You’re mixing steel lamination with damascus steel pattern. “Damascus steel” is not even sort of a steel and it has nothing to do with steel lamination (like “san mai” example, as someone above mentioned). It’s just pattern technique and quality of “damascus steel” depend from what steel you use. Most damascus steel knives nowaday originate from Pakistan and they are mostly low quality blades. There’s not one single advantage of damascus steel pattern apart from looking nice.
Well I broke down and ordered one. Just got it today. I like the size (a good deal slimmer than some of my other knives in the same blade length) and I love the blade shape. It’s sharp out of the box so that’s a plus. On the light side too!
The comments on youtube were accurate. The thumbstuds are a bit sharp (but easily fixable) and the clip wiggles a little bit (but not enough to bug me). The scales are definitely not G10, but they’re fine. I like the dished profile along the length. I’ve got a mind to shape myself some out of something else. Black G10? Cocobolo? Ipe? Buffalo Horn? Ziricote?
Mine’s a bit tight at the pivot so I’ll have to search for my Torx drivers, take off the scale and give it an adjustment. No sweat. I think it’ll serve me well.
Love the shape of the Kwaiken…been thinking about picking one up but the blade thickness has been holding me back. How do you like it?
I like it so far. Just FYI this isn’t a real Boker Kwaiken. It’s a clone. Got it from kevinjohnknives.
I don’t abuse my pocket knives too much. For heavy work and abuse I use fixed blades. My pocket knives will spend most of their lives opening packages and the like. It is smooth opening and closing, came fairly sharp out of the box. Haven’t had it long enough to find any weakness’s in it yet.
Ugh … You’re mixing steel lamination with damascus steel pattern. “Damascus steel” is not even sort of a steel and it has nothing to do with steel lamination (like “san mai” example, as someone above mentioned). It’s just pattern technique and quality of “damascus steel” depend from what steel you use. Most damascus steel knives nowaday originate from Pakistan and they are mostly low quality blades. There’s not one single advantage of damascus steel pattern apart from looking nice.
No, I’m not. Damascus is steel lamination. San Mai is a type of Damascus pattern. “Pakmascus” is garbage pot metal. This is only used on cheap garbage knives, mainly from China or “custom” knives from the middle east.
I like it so far. Just FYI this isn’t a real Boker Kwaiken. It’s a clone. Got it from kevinjohnknives.
I don’t abuse my pocket knives too much. For heavy work and abuse I use fixed blades. My pocket knives will spend most of their lives opening packages and the like. It is smooth opening and closing, came fairly sharp out of the box. Haven’t had it long enough to find any weakness’s in it yet.
Ugh … You’re mixing steel lamination with damascus steel pattern. “Damascus steel” is not even sort of a steel and it has nothing to do with steel lamination (like “san mai” example, as someone above mentioned). It’s just pattern technique and quality of “damascus steel” depend from what steel you use. Most damascus steel knives nowaday originate from Pakistan and they are mostly low quality blades. There’s not one single advantage of damascus steel pattern apart from looking nice.
No, I’m not. Damascus is steel lamination. San Mai is a type of Damascus pattern. “Pakmascus” is garbage pot metal. This is only used on cheap garbage knives, mainly from China or “custom” knives from the middle east.
There is a definite distinction between Damascus and San Mai. One is mixing steels to form patterns or swirls, used to be used to mixed impure with more pure steel to even out the performance.
And the other is layering of steel to create a sandwich effect with a harder steel in the middle softer/tougher steel on the outside.
Most of what we call Damascus steel however, isn’t really. It’s pattern wielded steel.
And there are certainly a lot of cheap pot metal quality damascus blades being made but there are quite a lot of high end manufacturers also. Damasteel, Chad Nichols and many many Japanese companies.
I like it so far. Just FYI this isn’t a real Boker Kwaiken. It’s a clone. Got it from kevinjohnknives.
I don’t abuse my pocket knives too much. For heavy work and abuse I use fixed blades. My pocket knives will spend most of their lives opening packages and the like. It is smooth opening and closing, came fairly sharp out of the box. Haven’t had it long enough to find any weakness’s in it yet.
I like that. Where might I find a fair price on that. I’m kind of scared to know the price.
Yeah it’s not inexpensive, especially in the US for $269.
The best price I found was from lamnia.com. It was $198 when I pre-ordered last week (looks like $203 today). They also do an aluminum version with an N690 blade for $128 but the full carbon (no metal liner) version really is what makes this guy special IMHO.
Ugh … You’re mixing steel lamination with damascus steel pattern. “Damascus steel” is not even sort of a steel and it has nothing to do with steel lamination (like “san mai” example, as someone above mentioned). It’s just pattern technique and quality of “damascus steel” depend from what steel you use. Most damascus steel knives nowaday originate from Pakistan and they are mostly low quality blades. There’s not one single advantage of damascus steel pattern apart from looking nice.
No, I’m not. Damascus is steel lamination. San Mai is a type of Damascus pattern.
No it’s not. You just made that up. Both statements are false. Please read explanation from @DBSS above, before you post another nonsense to spread false informations.
^ ^ ^
That’s a nice little pocket toy.
I carried my Schrade “Sharp Finger” scrimshaw/Engraved for a coupla decades
till somebody liked it more than me. (Lovely little, but Never sharp enuff knife)
With a Martiini on hip for over 50 yrs.
Have gone through quite a few over the yrs.
But That Martiini just keeps coming on.
Never misses a beat. always sharp enuff. always there.
I’ve got a few folders. Puma etc. and recently. a niice, fits well in hand,
You can feel the weight. reasonably sharp Em-09.. All $8.60 of it, delivered.
(I dislike ANYTHING lightweight ,you’ve reduced something to get there)
Lose it/break it. give it away. No loss.
But it does the same job as my $370 Puma Prince.
For which I paid $30 AUD. for the first one.
in mid ’70’s.
(I dislike ANYTHING lightweight ,you’ve reduced something to get there)
I’m the opposite, the lighter the better for me. I wear shorts most days and usually carry my blades loose in my pocket or around my neck so I shoot for under 3oz.
Willy.
I live in Northern Tropics of Queensland. Weather averaged from 24 to 37c ALL yr round. We live in shorts and tee’s. with sandals apart from 7ish weeks a yr when I may put on a skivvy in morning.
OH and throw a sheet over me in the short (winter) we get here.
two seasons only.
I Wear trousers, boots etc when hunting/running. (Snakes and croc’s)
Otherwise shorts WITH Braces. Holds up the wallet Knife. keyring with AO1 torch nicely.
77yrs nowadays. got “rotund” in the middle bit. NEED the braces or I wear them round the knees (chuckle)
================
Oh. Damascus steel. From Wikipedia. Peruse.
v v v v.
Damascus steel was the forged steel comprising the blades of swords smithed in the Near East from ingots of wootz steel1 imported from India and Sri Lanka. These swords are characterized by distinctive patterns of banding and mottling reminiscent of flowing water. Such blades were reputed to be tough, resistant to shattering, and capable of being honed to a sharp, resilient edge.2
The steel is named after Damascus, the capital city of Syria and one of the largest cities in the ancient Levant. It may either refer to swords made or sold in Damascus directly, or it may just refer to the aspect of the typical patterns, by comparison with Damask fabrics (which are themselves named after Damascus).34
The original method of producing wootz is not known. Modern attempts to duplicate the metal have not been entirely successful due to differences in raw materials and manufacturing techniques. Several individuals in modern times have claimed that they have rediscovered the methods by which the original Damascus steel was produced.567
The reputation and history of Damascus steel has given rise to many legends, such as the ability to cut through a rifle barrel or to cut a hair falling across the blade.8 A research team in Germany published a report in 2006 revealing nanowires and carbon nanotubes in a blade forged from Damascus steel.91011 Although many types of modern steel outperform ancient Damascus alloys, chemical reactions in the production process made the blades extraordinary for their time, as Damascus steel was superplastic and very hard at the same time. During the smelting process to obtain Wootz steel ingots, woody biomass and leaves are known to have been used as carburizing additives along with certain specific types of iron rich in microalloying elements. These ingots would then be further forged and worked into Damascus steel blades. Research now shows that carbon nanotubes can be derived from plant fibers,12 suggesting how the nanotubes were formed in the steel. Some experts expect to discover such nanotubes in more relics as they are analyzed more closely.
======================
There you go.
I use Tojiro and a coupla other “damascus” steel kitchen knives.
Which ARE more flexible and sharper than any mono steel I’ve tried over the yrs.
Apart from Blue or white Powder Japanese steel and maybe,,,
A Good quality Power saw blade for heavy skinning.
Those replaceable blade tools above.
I use a Stanley. Curved with black crackle finish, red Highlights. $24AUD.
It carries a pack of 8 or 10? blades inside handle.
Roll top wheel. withdraw blade. slide in/out. New blade charged and ready to go.
Magic.
TS111. pretty big and light. nicely made too.

"It wouldn’t be so bright if there wasn’t a shadow every once in a while." - Jason Mraz
It looks like the modern interpretation of the swayback pattern.
How is the pocket clip?
isti
In the pocket is good out the pocket a little strong but its ok.
Anybody got a para 3 lightweight in allready?
"It wouldn’t be so bright if there wasn’t a shadow every once in a while." - Jason Mraz
"Everywhere I go, there I am"
Chirogorov Tabargan 110:
isti
Love the shape of the Kwaiken…been thinking about picking one up but the blade thickness has been holding me back. How do you like it?
Ugh … You’re mixing steel lamination with damascus steel pattern. “Damascus steel” is not even sort of a steel and it has nothing to do with steel lamination (like “san mai” example, as someone above mentioned). It’s just pattern technique and quality of “damascus steel” depend from what steel you use. Most damascus steel knives nowaday originate from Pakistan and they are mostly low quality blades. There’s not one single advantage of damascus steel pattern apart from looking nice.
To be honest I prefer cheaper G-10/VG-10 above CPM-S35V/Ti version. Both are great, but G-10 feel just better in hand …
Well I broke down and ordered one. Just got it today. I like the size (a good deal slimmer than some of my other knives in the same blade length) and I love the blade shape. It’s sharp out of the box so that’s a plus. On the light side too!
The comments on youtube were accurate. The thumbstuds are a bit sharp (but easily fixable) and the clip wiggles a little bit (but not enough to bug me). The scales are definitely not G10, but they’re fine. I like the dished profile along the length. I’ve got a mind to shape myself some out of something else. Black G10? Cocobolo? Ipe? Buffalo Horn? Ziricote?
Mine’s a bit tight at the pivot so I’ll have to search for my Torx drivers, take off the scale and give it an adjustment. No sweat. I think it’ll serve me well.
I like it so far. Just FYI this isn’t a real Boker Kwaiken. It’s a clone. Got it from kevinjohnknives.
I don’t abuse my pocket knives too much. For heavy work and abuse I use fixed blades. My pocket knives will spend most of their lives opening packages and the like. It is smooth opening and closing, came fairly sharp out of the box. Haven’t had it long enough to find any weakness’s in it yet.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/02008-Kwaiken-Flipper-Black-G10-Handle-IKBS-Linerlock-Folding-Pocket-Knife-EDC/254017628779?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
"Everywhere I go, there I am"
Massdrop X Ferrum Forge Crux w/Juggernaut handle
No, I’m not. Damascus is steel lamination. San Mai is a type of Damascus pattern. “Pakmascus” is garbage pot metal. This is only used on cheap garbage knives, mainly from China or “custom” knives from the middle east.
Old kershaw 1660CB with a new look on the handle. The black bar is just to cover engraving for the interwebs.
Wow $28! Hard to go wrong at that price. Gonna keep an eye on that listing.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Just arrived as I was reading this thread
Carbon Fiber Fox Suru w/ M390 blade

There is a definite distinction between Damascus and San Mai. One is mixing steels to form patterns or swirls, used to be used to mixed impure with more pure steel to even out the performance.
And the other is layering of steel to create a sandwich effect with a harder steel in the middle softer/tougher steel on the outside.
Most of what we call Damascus steel however, isn’t really. It’s pattern wielded steel.
And there are certainly a lot of cheap pot metal quality damascus blades being made but there are quite a lot of high end manufacturers also. Damasteel, Chad Nichols and many many Japanese companies.
I like that. Where might I find a fair price on that. I’m kind of scared to know the price.
"Everywhere I go, there I am"
Just got this today . CRKT UP&AT ‘EM
Yeah it’s not inexpensive, especially in the US for $269.
The best price I found was from lamnia.com. It was $198 when I pre-ordered last week (looks like $203 today). They also do an aluminum version with an N690 blade for $128 but the full carbon (no metal liner) version really is what makes this guy special IMHO.
https://www.lamnia.com/en/search?s=Fox+suru
No it’s not. You just made that up. Both statements are false. Please read explanation from @DBSS above, before you post another nonsense to spread false informations.
Eafengrow EF70 kwaiken:
isti
^ ^ ^
That’s a nice little pocket toy.
I carried my Schrade “Sharp Finger” scrimshaw/Engraved for a coupla decades
till somebody liked it more than me. (Lovely little, but Never sharp enuff knife)
With a Martiini on hip for over 50 yrs.
Have gone through quite a few over the yrs.
But That Martiini just keeps coming on.
Never misses a beat. always sharp enuff. always there.
I’ve got a few folders. Puma etc. and recently. a niice, fits well in hand,
You can feel the weight. reasonably sharp Em-09.. All $8.60 of it, delivered.
(I dislike ANYTHING lightweight ,you’ve reduced something to get there)
Lose it/break it. give it away. No loss. But it does the same job as my $370 Puma Prince. For which I paid $30 AUD. for the first one.
in mid ’70’s.
I’m the opposite, the lighter the better for me. I wear shorts most days and usually carry my blades loose in my pocket or around my neck so I shoot for under 3oz.
.6oz

Willy.
I live in Northern Tropics of Queensland. Weather averaged from 24 to 37c
ALL yr round. We live in shorts and tee’s. with sandals apart from 7ish weeks a yr when I may put on a skivvy in morning.
OH and throw a sheet over me in the short (winter) we get here.
two seasons only.
I Wear trousers, boots etc when hunting/running. (Snakes and croc’s)
================Otherwise shorts WITH Braces. Holds up the wallet Knife. keyring with AO1 torch nicely.
77yrs nowadays. got “rotund” in the middle bit.
NEED the braces or I wear them round the knees (chuckle)
Oh. Damascus steel. From Wikipedia. Peruse.
v v v v.
Damascus steel was the forged steel comprising the blades of swords smithed in the Near East from ingots of wootz steel1 imported from India and Sri Lanka. These swords are characterized by distinctive patterns of banding and mottling reminiscent of flowing water. Such blades were reputed to be tough, resistant to shattering, and capable of being honed to a sharp, resilient edge.2
The steel is named after Damascus, the capital city of Syria and one of the largest cities in the ancient Levant. It may either refer to swords made or sold in Damascus directly, or it may just refer to the aspect of the typical patterns, by comparison with Damask fabrics (which are themselves named after Damascus).34
The original method of producing wootz is not known. Modern attempts to duplicate the metal have not been entirely successful due to differences in raw materials and manufacturing techniques. Several individuals in modern times have claimed that they have rediscovered the methods by which the original Damascus steel was produced.567
The reputation and history of Damascus steel has given rise to many legends, such as the ability to cut through a rifle barrel or to cut a hair falling across the blade.8 A research team in Germany published a report in 2006 revealing nanowires and carbon nanotubes in a blade forged from Damascus steel.91011 Although many types of modern steel outperform ancient Damascus alloys, chemical reactions in the production process made the blades extraordinary for their time, as Damascus steel was superplastic and very hard at the same time. During the smelting process to obtain Wootz steel ingots, woody biomass and leaves are known to have been used as carburizing additives along with certain specific types of iron rich in microalloying elements. These ingots would then be further forged and worked into Damascus steel blades. Research now shows that carbon nanotubes can be derived from plant fibers,12 suggesting how the nanotubes were formed in the steel. Some experts expect to discover such nanotubes in more relics as they are analyzed more closely.
======================There you go.
I use Tojiro and a coupla other “damascus” steel kitchen knives.
Which ARE more flexible and sharper than any mono steel I’ve tried over the yrs.
Apart from Blue or white Powder Japanese steel and maybe,,,
A Good quality Power saw blade for heavy skinning.
I sometimes accidentally leave my Opinel No. 6 in my pocket, but I always feel like a criminal when I do even though it’s not illegal.
Boker today
NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Everywhere I go, there I am"
M. E. K.
... Happy Landings ...
Those replaceable blade tools above.
I use a Stanley. Curved with black crackle finish, red Highlights. $24AUD.
It carries a pack of 8 or 10? blades inside handle.
Roll top wheel. withdraw blade. slide in/out. New blade charged and ready to go.
Magic.
Another beach day
…
.86oz/24g
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