This is The James Brand Damascus Steel Carter Pocket Knife, and as the name suggests, it uses a corrosion-resistant VG-10 Damascus stainless steel blade – a steel type famous for its use in ancient swords that became legendary for their sharpness and strength.
Damascus steel is well-known for its unusual patterning caused by the layers of different types of steel that are forge-welded together. These layers often consist of high-carbon steel and low-carbon steel, which gives the blade the beneficial properties of both steel types.
Here you can see the distinctive swirling, water-like patterns in the steel of the blade. This is characteristic of Damascus steel, a metal type prized for its strength and its ability to carry a razor-sharp edge.
After forge welding the layers together, the metalworkers fold the billet (a block of layered steel) repeatedly. This process helps to homogenize the material and remove impurities, ensuring a more uniform and consistent blade.
Once the blade is shaped and polished, it undergoes an acid or chemical etching process. This step is crucial in revealing the characteristic pattern. The acid etches the surface of the blade at different rates, depending on the varying composition of the layers, resulting in the contrasting patterns that make Damascus steel so unique.
Modern Damascus steel is essentially as close as we can get to recreating the original steel type. The exact methods have been lost to history but modern metalworkers believe they have recaptured the technique – and the blades certainly look correct.
The knife has an ambidextrous slide lock for safety’s allowing it to be quickly opened and closed with one hand by both left and right handed people.
The James Brand
The James Brand was founded in Portland, Oregon in 2012 by a close-knit group of industrial designers and adventurers who wanted to create the kind of gear they couldn’t find anywhere else.
They began making high-end but affordable folding pocket knives, and their product line has now expanded to include both fixed blade and folding knives, multitools, apparel, keyrings, and pens.
The Damascus Steel Carter Pocket Knife is a special version of the best-selling Carter Pocket Knife, with the unusual Damascus steel blade rather than the more traditional stainless steel. It has a drop point design, a blade length of 2.8 inches, an overall open length of 6.5 inches. and a weight of 3 oz.
The knife comes with a stainless steel pocket clip and that can be removed and replaced with the included lanyard insert if the owner so wishes.
The knife has an ambidextrous slide lock for safety, it uses phosphor bronze washers, and a black micarta handle with a textured grip pattern. It also comes with a stainless steel clip which can be replaced with the included lanyard insert for additional carrying options.
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