Part of the MoonSwords Steel Guide series. See the full matrix to compare every steel we forge.
Quick answer: Damascus steel is pattern-welded: several steels are forge-welded together, folded, then polished and etched to reveal the layers. MoonSwords' blend is proprietary. Our Damascus blades typically reach 56–60 HRC, and the pattern and craftsmanship are what you are paying for. We forge 16 Damascus swords in our Japanese line, from $249 to $850, and seven of them are also clay-tempered.
How Pattern-Welded Steel Is Made
The smith stacks layers of different steels, forge-welds them into a single billet, then draws out, folds and reshapes it, multiplying the layers each time. Once the blade is ground and polished, an etch darkens some layers more than others, and the pattern appears: waves, rain-drops or a flowing grain, depending on how the billet was worked. Because the steels in our blend are proprietary, we describe the result rather than the recipe. For the craft behind it, see our sword folding guide.
Modern pattern-welded Damascus is different from historical wootz, the crucible steel behind the original "Damascus" legend. We cover that in our wootz guide.
Damascus at a Glance
- Typical hardness: 56–60 HRC
- Toughness and edge retention: medium and good
- Surface: folded-layer pattern; clay-tempered models also show a hamon
- Rust care: high. Oil regularly, because layers can react at different rates.
Clay-Tempered Damascus
Seven of our Damascus katana combine the layered pattern with clay tempering, so they show both the folded grain and a hamon: Sōō, Banrin, Kaun no Jashin, Reija no Yaiba, Fumoto no Unryū, Nichirin and the Atsu Damascus katana.
The Full Damascus Lineup
- Katana: Aoki Yōki ($279), Tsuchime, Fūrai, Senkon and Shūen no Bara ($669), plus the clay-tempered models above.
- Sets, wakizashi and tanto: the Jin Sakai katana and tanto, the Tōga wakizashi and the Karasumaru tanto ($249).
- Odachi: the Black Mortal Blade ($850).
Browse the Damascus collection. Looking for Chinese Damascus? Our Master Collection jian and dao are covered in the Master Collection steel guide.
FAQ
Is Damascus better than T10 or 1095?
Not for edge retention. Clay-tempered T10 and 1095 are more predictable. Choose Damascus when you want the steel itself to be the artwork.
What steels are in your Damascus?
Our blend is proprietary, so we don't publish the recipe.
Are your HRC figures measured?
The 56–60 range is typical for pattern-welded sword steel. Where a product page lists a figure, that figure applies to that sword.