Kyle and I had a lot of fun making this video! It's nice to change it up every once in awhile! :) Let me know what you thought of this fun little video. :D Also, I (Josh) got inspiration to make this video by watching @OUTDOORS55 hilarious video where he bought a $24.99 Damascus Knife From Ebay. Check it out. kzclip.org/video/UeeE9DyI52w/бейне.html ~Josh Royer
I bought a Damascus knife a while back with a all wood handle and Damascus furniture however the blade has a recurve and I was wondering if I sent you in the blade and since I didn't really pay that much for it would you be able to do test on it like you did with this one¿??¿??¿
That looks like the same knife maker that I bought but it was 45.00 dollars but you can feel the grain on mine a it has rust in the pattern. But the sheath looks like mine but it has skulls stamped into the leather
Well, I've YET to watch a single video of yours that was anything other than hilarious, captivating and educational. Not to mention motivational. You have arrived sir!
There are videos showing how they make these sorts of cheap knives in Pakistan. They produce large billets of damascus at a time, and one thing they all seem to have in common is that they don't have that many different layers, which probably makes it quicker than repeatedly folding and forge welding to get something with a lot of layers. that is probably why the inside was all messed up too. It definitely takes longer than just grinding a knife out of bar stock though. I bought one of these several years back and the delamination was visible on the spine and the edge was so soft that it wouldn't sharpen properly. It was just 15 dollars back at the time (without a handle) so it wasn't a big deal.
I always wondered what's inside these pretty knockoffs and how they can be made and marketed surprisingly cheap. I didn't have the heart to destroy one I tried out, despite its cheapo price, so you saved me 35+ bucks! However as you showed, for me sharpening this supposed 1095 blade was actually a very frustrating time wasting experience. Mine was probably haphazardly heat treated being "soft" in various spots. So now I use it to open coconuts and save my real knives.
I was expecting some kind of agressive/condescending review, and I'm happy to see a honest and positive review. It's indeed an excellent base to modify for learners.
These things can sometimes make a fun project. I was given a cheap damascus chef’s knife, a few years ago. I reground it, to make it thinner, and it ended up being a decent blade.
I got a pocket knife produced by Komwero. It has a VG10 steel core and ball bearings. If you pay just a little more (it cost 46 dollars) you can get some really nice stuff. The Chinese are really catching up just like the Japanese in the 70s with their products.
Very cool video idea. Perfect for someone that always gets mesmerized by watching you doing these stunning damascus art pieces, but that has no $10.000 lying around for buying an actual Royer Knife. I might get myself one of these if I need a fancy knife on a budget. As always thanks for the video Kyle ;) !
I don't know what your budget is but there's a lot of reasonably good bladesmiths around that can make you a decent Damascus blade for a reasonable price. Not of the Kyle Royers level (hence the price tag) but still perfectly usable. And at least you'll still be happy with your purchase in a few years instead of selling it with the next garage sale. Anyway, just an opinion. Feel free to disagree
Thanks for sharing. Perhaps a hardness tester might have been useful before destroying the blade. It could be even used after that to check on the claimed 58-60.
Good summary! I used to make knives for a living in the uk. The Indian Damascus “ souvenir” grade knives do suck a lot of money and attention away from makers , but I think , like yourself they pose no threat to serious makers or buyers . I whole heartedly agree they are cool if you take them for what they are . Souvenirs from a sweatshop in India .
Great review, you gave credit where it was due and did not sugar coat the negatives. I don't know how they even sale the sheath for $35 Love your videos, educational for me as a knife maker and fun to watch. Thank you!!
@joe jones I guess it’s all relative to what you can buy for 35 dollars ha ha. If you can buy the same amount with that that I can for 100 in the states I guess it’s a wash
I read that main reason other places can make things so cheap is that each time workers demand and gain another right, it costs more to make things. Over time US workers have gotten so many rights that it costs a fortune to employ them. Of course being a worker with no worker rights would be a miserable, dangerous, poverty-stricken life...
Im surprised how "good" yours was! I couldnt get a decent edge on mine. Maybe I was having an off day👍 or maybe the extra $10 made a difference😉one thing i didn't mention with mine was the tang was welded on too. That being said the tang was the best built part of the knife😂 loved the video and your thoughts at the end👍👍
I bought one of their knives last year, before I even knew this channel existed. It's a longer karambit, with a full tang and a rosewood handle, properly pinned. It was the same price as this one, and I was fairly pleased with it, though I had some concerns. For starters, I could easily tell it was real damascus. But someone hit it with a grinder in places to get at some uncomfortable edges that bit into the hand and wrist. I'm fairly certain this is the reason, as they missed a spot right next to where they ground off the pattern. I had to file it back some more myself, and I'll probably dismantle the whole thing and etch it again. The handle is beautiful and comfortable, though the scales doesn't quite lay flush on the tang, and I'll probably fix that myself too. It has six brass pins holding it together, but a couple look so ground down that I'd hardly call them riveted. And the sheath is clearly made of scrap leather glued together, though I'm actually quite fond of this. I hate wasted leather, and it still looks lovely, same style as this one. I don't expect a shipped knife to be work ready, and don't mind putting in a little love. When the weather clears, I look forward to using my knife for wood carving. Overall, I always felt I got my money's worth, and I feel quite confident in that thanks to this video, so thank you very much!
you definitely should buy another one of these, take it apart and reprofile the blade, weld a thicker tang on, heat treat it properly, hand sand it and reassemble it properly then test it head to head vs how they come.
As a Damascus Smith I am not sure the break not being clean is a bad thing. There are obvious quality issues with the knife but as I was taught way back in the 70's beyond being pretty the advantage of Damascus is the difference in mechanical properties of the different layers. That being true, good Damascus should not break clean. If it does it shows the steel has been homogenized and does not have the mechanical difference which gives superior strength.
@Benoit Massicotte Old comment perhaps, but if you see this check out Freerk Wieringa - his work is excellent for the same reasons you mention here, but he is just beginning his journey into the craft so it is always wonderful to see what he does. No speaking, full length build videos, excellent content. And Kyle, if you see this, beautiful work as always. I really appreciate seeing someone of your caliber posting your work here for us to enjoy. Love the humor and nerdiness you bring to the videos too ^___^
@KyleRoyerKnives That was in jest. I am a traditionalist, with recognition of the value you offer through your perfectionist attitude towards your work. I follow other KZcliprs knife makers, but you stand at the top of the total dedication to workmanship pyramid. Simply put. your work comes first, KZclip after. May you always find smooth sailing in your everlasting journey towards perfection.
Interesting to see whats in one of these blades, you see them cheap on a lot of platforms, and I had wondered what they were like. I actually bought a damascus folder cheap on ebay and it is similar quality to this.
I've found a safe bet is two to three times the cost of the cheap stuff is a good place to start. For instance, if you find a $20 POS knife you like, look for something similar that costs $60. Thats usually where good quality for a fair price seems to start. Not always a guarantee though, sometimes real quality starts at 4-5 times the cheapest.
Cody Wheeler and I did the same with different results and posted a video. We got some HUGE delams and found our blade to be pretty much unhardened. Just a lot of variances I guess. We had to harden the steel to break it as it just bent.
Similar knives with proper heat treatment and good handles sell at a local market for 3 to 4 hundred dollars so this looks surprisingly decent ( for the price)
Awesome review. About time someone did a proper review on these knives. You are right though for 35 bucks for Damascus knife with a sheath pretty good deal.
I think that knife is worth a couple hundred now just having Kyle run it on the grinder... I was looking at a Pakistan knife recently, and in one part of the description it said it was 1095, but elsewhere it said 4340... Which makes more sense they would be using old concrete saw blades or whatever..
I really appreciate your sense of humor. Nice to know it's not ALL business at the Master level. Very fun video!!! Would love to see it in pieces on the table with you asking "Will it KEEL?" Maybe if one of the pieces gets in someone's eye and a horrible infection sets in and causes death 3 months later??? MAYBE???🙄
Man, I was watching your sword making vid and your name suddenly rang a bell...yeah, indeed you are the same Kyle I drooled already a decade ago over your first works ...so now you are here! Amazing...subscribed, gonna take a deep dive in your channel. What a great find, saludos desde España maestro!
This guy could be talking about how ostriches can fly and I’d still watch, I just love your enthusiasm!!! You are one of the reasons I am getting into this hobby.
Hey thanks muhammad We have put together some great online courses designed specifically for beginners, intermediate, and advanced makers. We also are currently getting ready to offer online classes through a monthly subscription based. In depth course style tutorial videos. First class is mosaic damascus. We will offer Kyle’s detailed teachings covering a vast amount of knife related classes Keep Forging On my friend Dad
I think that what was said at the start was a bit harsh, but towards the end, you were a little more impressed. Often, these types of knives are bought because damascus steel is simply pleasant to look at and less likely to be utilitarian. All in all, your final assessment was fair, and you made many excellent points. I've got a couple of damacus blades, and for as useful as they may be, they'll never see the outside world. I'd be interested to see what more expensive knives are able to stand up to your testing process. A £150 knife made with Chinese steel might present some interesting results. May The Forge Be With You!
Great video, always enjoyable to watch your vids. Would have like to seen some harder swings at that 2x4 though. Handle may have broke in your hand sooner if you had.
@KyleRoyerKnives I'd love to see you do more in the future! I got a knife way back when I was still in the military, supposedly an american ranger knife. But I found that it wasn't even hardened properly! Couldn't keep an edge and it rolled on basic plywood.
$35 though - Amazed you can get any kind of functional pattern welded steel knife for that to be fair - I bought some cheap damascus billets of similar origin to play with and can confirm their welds are not up to par, had to forge weld up a few delaminations - Great practise for when I get to the real deal though!
I'm actually impressed with what you can get for $35. You literally couldn't buy the raw materials to make that yourself for double the price. Hell, just the leather for the sheath is going to cost you $10. It's a good deal for someone that wants a blade and doesn't care about heirloom quality. Buying a nice USA produced knife like that from a reputable maker would be thousands of dollars. With that said, there are way better performing knives out there for much less. A $15 Mora or cheap Schrade will give you more mileage and performance. Nice video man, love your work.
Your also can get other really good D2 or VG10 steel knives for a few dollars more. Also Chinese but really good quality. I have some Kubey folding knives with D2 steel and I'm impressed with the quality.
I’ve got a couple of these and they’re fantastic for camping and slapping around lol decent choppers if you put an edge on them and yet again, for the price.. I’ve had wayyy worse!
Currently, the so-called "Damascus steel" is widely used for the production of top-class kitchen knives, but it is a material that, as a result of processing, obtains only visual characteristics similar to it, but is still very inferior to the original in terms of strength
As a kid I felled quite a few trees with just my Mora knife. I used to hold the knife at the "pommel" end and "whip" with it to get the speed up. You get weaker but faster strike and you can keep doing it longer.
Can't really go wrong with a $35 ornamental. Can also spend some time on it, clean it up and "finish" it. Would be a very functional DISPLAY piece - much better on display than as a knife. With that all said - for the money, not bad at all.
I've actually used mild steel welded on to swords for the grip. BUT much much more robust. Almost full grip size & welded before heat treatment to normalize the weld point.
I'm absolutely new to your channel (this is only the second video I've watched) and have subscribed. I was about to ask some hard questions on your evaluation (such as how much do you charge for your knives compared to $34.99). Most people don't bend their knives in a vice, chop a 2x4 in two then try to shave, or beat the handle with a hammer. I was also about to say why not re-grind the bevel then re-sharpen. Given all the shortcomings (sheath tab on wrong side, hollow handle, welded tang) it was only a $34.99 knife. Then you redeemed it all by saying that the test had been extreme and for $34.99 it was a pretty good knife. I liked that you gave credit for it being true Damascus. I look forward to watching your videos and really liked the Damascus blank you made for the symposium in Australia.
@11:50 yeah the whole thing delaminated across the middle and spalled off to one side. I agree the grain didnt look terrible most of the way through but the dark spots were concerning and yeah it looked like there were some impurities or something between the core layers. And the tang and handle was just horrifying
I bought one that was 60 bucks. Looked good at first but had slight surface rust after only 2 months. Never got it sharp to my liking. And felt cheap as hell. But it did look good to people who don't know knives.
I was gonna say, if you try hard enough, you could probably get mild steel to do the same thing, hahaha. I'm a little surprised by the conclusion, though I guess as a kid I loved my "Rambo" knock off survival knife(yeah I'm old). Though it was only a few months, till the whole thing was in pieces... Hope all is well, take it easy...
Yeah, 10 year old me would have loved this thing. I was so into survival knives as a kid. Mainly the ones with the hollow handle with the little survival kits inside. And the bigger the better. I found a survival kit machete somewhere and that was the crown jewel in the collection. I had very cool trusting parents. I had a dozen guns kept in my own safe in my room by the time I was a teenager.
@Kyleroyerknives, thank you for this video, i never knew how little i know about the Metal Works. so many things were shown and i never even thought to entertain any Questions, hats off to you. if you do go forged in fire let us know and please get your metal billet ready before you even go on the show.
After all, some people are going to buy Walmart knives no matter what. Those of us that prefer "Real Craftsmanship" like your work, Kyle, are willing to spend a considerable amount more not just for the quality, but for the craftsmanship that was put into the creation. The test was great, as I did the same thing because I ask myself "How in the world is this guy (on Amazon) selling this bad ass looking damascus (pattern welded) knife for less than my raw materials cost. Well, same story. The mosaic pins were inlays, the entire tang was not the same steel as the blade ect...ect... Great Review Kyle. I super enjoy watching your videos. Kudos to your son too, by the way, what a fantastic artist!! (Oh, my cheap damascus cost me $85)
Ok I was going to have to dislike this but the ending is nice, for a $35 knife I think it went above and beyond. Ty for some thorough testing and what seems like honest opinions. I'll have to check out some more videos
Still pretty damn cool for the price. Not a bad wall hanger or even self defense knife. In the same sense that a sharp stick is also a pretty good self defense weapon.
Nice knife for $35. It's not something I'd trust my life to, but it's better than I'd have expected. I can sharpen a knife if it it'll hold an edge. The handle LOOKS nice. The way it broke makes me wonder if that's not a layered steel with crappy metal for a core parlayed with a thin Damascus sheet and then forge welded. I'd prefer a full tang knife, though.
@KyleRoyerKnives . Right now just finished round 15 of clinical trails of 2 different types of chemo. March 2nd I get another ct scan and round 16 and see if it's working at all.
Hey don Glad you’re hanging out with us don How far are you into treatments Hang tough big guy May God bless you and we will pray for those tending to you as well don. Dad
A friend of mine got one of these just to see how good it was. We peeled it completely apart with no problem at all. It wasn't really welded together at all I don't know how it was stuck together
The actual question here is would Kyle's knives perform 50 or even a 100 times better.....since their price is . Other than a much better fit and finish and expensive materials used his knives are also limited to the strenght in the steel and in the materials used . :) What would a comparative test bring if the knifemaker had acces to some good steel. Would the difference still be that big ?? Its very easy to bring down product from a knifemaker that has to make a few knives a day and sell those to a vendor that sells them at a profit on the internet..... only to have some food on the table. The shops and tools they need to work in dont look as fancy either. Dont ridicule other peoples work if you dont want to be treated in the same manner . I think if i was able to afford a Royers knife....i could video destroy it easely doing things the knives are never intended for. Amen
Great idea. Oh yeah he has already done that dozens of times and passed master blade smith performance testing over and over... Great comment my friend. 👍🏻🔥☕️⚔️. Chao. Dad
There is this Damascus pattern on Forged in fire episode that i have never seen before, it was a zigzag pattern it went up and down from side to side. Have you ever made Damascus like that before?
For that price its a not so bad knife and even if the tang is not good at all - if it breaks you can meke some smaller Damascus knife out of the huge blade :)
One possible material source for the blade is surplus steel multi stranded cable, heated red hot and hammer forged to a basic shape, ground to shape and acid etched.
I do cowboy action shooting and for $35 this looks like a great prop, and I'm sure as a self defense tool it work fine. As a survival knife probably not that good. It's worth $35.
The way you emphasize and joke about the name of the knife is hilarious and resonates with me. I don't know what it is about these poorly made, cheap knives... but they always have some redundant name like "SUPER SHARP GUARANTEED CUT KNIFE SLICER KNIFE GOURMET CHEF SHARP" lmao
Got some early vids that show a pacifically blade testing. Every blade gets performance tested. We don’t do a destruction test on them all. Good to have you here my friend 👍🏻☕️🔥⚔️ Dad
and there is also a lot of cheap sword like objects on the market that has this kind of "rat tail tang" welded straight on the blade (some of them made of stainless steel) that some people swings around unknowingly :-)
Kyle and I had a lot of fun making this video! It's nice to change it up every once in awhile! :) Let me know what you thought of this fun little video. :D
Also, I (Josh) got inspiration to make this video by watching @OUTDOORS55 hilarious video where he bought a $24.99 Damascus Knife From Ebay. Check it out. kzclip.org/video/UeeE9DyI52w/бейне.html ~Josh Royer
I bought a Damascus knife a while back with a all wood handle and Damascus furniture however the blade has a recurve and I was wondering if I sent you in the blade and since I didn't really pay that much for it would you be able to do test on it like you did with this one¿??¿??¿
That looks like the same knife maker that I bought but it was 45.00 dollars but you can feel the grain on mine a it has rust in the pattern. But the sheath looks like mine but it has skulls stamped into the leather
Well, I've YET to watch a single video of yours that was anything other than hilarious, captivating and educational. Not to mention motivational. You have arrived sir!
Bro for 35 bucks lol I'll take it
Test some Damascus IMPACT CUTLERY made on ebay next
8:40 I'm genuinely shocked the pattern was real. I was really expecting it to just be etched on the surface.
@Bunnies Kitties sir there's no need to yell
JEFF BEZOS DOESNT EVER LIE, DOESNT EVER CHEAT, EVERYTHING ON AMAZON PRIME IS REAL. REAL DEALS, REAL REELS.
There are videos showing how they make these sorts of cheap knives in Pakistan. They produce large billets of damascus at a time, and one thing they all seem to have in common is that they don't have that many different layers, which probably makes it quicker than repeatedly folding and forge welding to get something with a lot of layers. that is probably why the inside was all messed up too. It definitely takes longer than just grinding a knife out of bar stock though. I bought one of these several years back and the delamination was visible on the spine and the edge was so soft that it wouldn't sharpen properly. It was just 15 dollars back at the time (without a handle) so it wasn't a big deal.
It's probably just recycled junk steel from a scrap yard heated up and pressed into a sheet
Same on amazon with kitchen knives
Kyle should buy one of these "knock off" knives and then make his own improved version of it. Then test them side by side.
@Griffiths Handmade-Knives you sound like a fun person to be around
Great idea
You cant improved it without using a new material for like an all new steel
Yes I would definitely watch that video.
He just bought one 😆😆😆
I always wondered what's inside these pretty knockoffs and how they can be made and marketed surprisingly cheap. I didn't have the heart to destroy one I tried out, despite its cheapo price, so you saved me 35+ bucks! However as you showed, for me sharpening this supposed 1095 blade was actually a very frustrating time wasting experience. Mine was probably haphazardly heat treated being "soft" in various spots. So now I use it to open coconuts and save my real knives.
They are cheap Pakistani Damast knifes and are as hard as frozen butter. Go figure.
I was expecting some kind of agressive/condescending review, and I'm happy to see a honest and positive review. It's indeed an excellent base to modify for learners.
These things can sometimes make a fun project. I was given a cheap damascus chef’s knife, a few years ago. I reground it, to make it thinner, and it ended up being a decent blade.
I got a pocket knife produced by Komwero. It has a VG10 steel core and ball bearings. If you pay just a little more (it cost 46 dollars) you can get some really nice stuff. The Chinese are really catching up just like the Japanese in the 70s with their products.
Very cool video idea. Perfect for someone that always gets mesmerized by watching you doing these stunning damascus art pieces, but that has no $10.000 lying around for buying an actual Royer Knife. I might get myself one of these if I need a fancy knife on a budget. As always thanks for the video Kyle ;) !
I don't know what your budget is but there's a lot of reasonably good bladesmiths around that can make you a decent Damascus blade for a reasonable price. Not of the Kyle Royers level (hence the price tag) but still perfectly usable.
And at least you'll still be happy with your purchase in a few years instead of selling it with the next garage sale.
Anyway, just an opinion. Feel free to disagree
Thanks for sharing. Perhaps a hardness tester might have been useful before destroying the blade. It could be even used after that to check on the claimed 58-60.
Good point my friend. However the goal was to see what it would take to destroy the knife. Good times
Dad
Good summary!
I used to make knives for a living in the uk. The Indian Damascus “ souvenir” grade knives do suck a lot of money and attention away from makers , but I think , like yourself they pose no threat to serious makers or buyers . I whole heartedly agree they are cool if you take them for what they are . Souvenirs from a sweatshop in India .
Great review, you gave credit where it was due and did not sugar coat the negatives. I don't know how they even sale the sheath for $35
Love your videos, educational for me as a knife maker and fun to watch. Thank you!!
@joe jones Cost of living is higher in most first world countries and differences in regulations can influence the cost of manufacturing a given item.
@joe jones I guess it’s all relative to what you can buy for 35 dollars ha ha. If you can buy the same amount with that that I can for 100 in the states I guess it’s a wash
I read that main reason other places can make things so cheap is that each time workers demand and gain another right, it costs more to make things. Over time US workers have gotten so many rights that it costs a fortune to employ them. Of course being a worker with no worker rights would be a miserable, dangerous, poverty-stricken life...
Thanks Nicholas. I guess low cost of living. Lowest bidder works. 😆
The knife still has value.
Cheers.
Team Royer
Im surprised how "good" yours was! I couldnt get a decent edge on mine. Maybe I was having an off day👍 or maybe the extra $10 made a difference😉one thing i didn't mention with mine was the tang was welded on too. That being said the tang was the best built part of the knife😂 loved the video and your thoughts at the end👍👍
Hey 55
Thanks for the shout out
Team Royer
I bought one of their knives last year, before I even knew this channel existed. It's a longer karambit, with a full tang and a rosewood handle, properly pinned. It was the same price as this one, and I was fairly pleased with it, though I had some concerns.
For starters, I could easily tell it was real damascus. But someone hit it with a grinder in places to get at some uncomfortable edges that bit into the hand and wrist. I'm fairly certain this is the reason, as they missed a spot right next to where they ground off the pattern. I had to file it back some more myself, and I'll probably dismantle the whole thing and etch it again. The handle is beautiful and comfortable, though the scales doesn't quite lay flush on the tang, and I'll probably fix that myself too. It has six brass pins holding it together, but a couple look so ground down that I'd hardly call them riveted. And the sheath is clearly made of scrap leather glued together, though I'm actually quite fond of this. I hate wasted leather, and it still looks lovely, same style as this one.
I don't expect a shipped knife to be work ready, and don't mind putting in a little love. When the weather clears, I look forward to using my knife for wood carving. Overall, I always felt I got my money's worth, and I feel quite confident in that thanks to this video, so thank you very much!
We found it worth the money
👍🏻☕️🔥⚔️
Dad
you definitely should buy another one of these, take it apart and reprofile the blade, weld a thicker tang on, heat treat it properly, hand sand it and reassemble it properly then test it head to head vs how they come.
You gave that so much abuse, but gave it a hugely fair review.
I'd guess , even the Amazon seller would be happy.
I was really surprised. Honestly if you just want something that looks pretty and is relatively cheap this isn’t half bad.
Copy that BW
Team Royer
👍🏻🔥⚔️
Just the fact that it was actual Damascus makes it well worth $35. I was actually amazed at how decent it was at that price.
As a Damascus Smith I am not sure the break not being clean is a bad thing. There are obvious quality issues with the knife but as I was taught way back in the 70's beyond being pretty the advantage of Damascus is the difference in mechanical properties of the different layers. That being true, good Damascus should not break clean. If it does it shows the steel has been homogenized and does not have the mechanical difference which gives superior strength.
The knife is worth the money
Merry Christmas my friend
Dad
You actually made me want to buy this knife,and mod the handle. Way better value than I thought.
@Benoit Massicotte Old comment perhaps, but if you see this check out Freerk Wieringa - his work is excellent for the same reasons you mention here, but he is just beginning his journey into the craft so it is always wonderful to see what he does. No speaking, full length build videos, excellent content.
And Kyle, if you see this, beautiful work as always. I really appreciate seeing someone of your caliber posting your work here for us to enjoy. Love the humor and nerdiness you bring to the videos too ^___^
@KyleRoyerKnives That was in jest. I am a traditionalist, with recognition of the value you offer through your perfectionist attitude towards your work. I follow other KZcliprs knife makers, but you stand at the top of the total dedication to workmanship pyramid. Simply put. your work comes first, KZclip after. May you always find smooth sailing in your everlasting journey towards perfection.
Good idea Benoit. Go for it my friend
👍🏻☕️🔥⚔️
Dad
For the price it is absolutely stunning. I would just use this thing for light work like cutting apples and fruits, and just keep it on display
Interesting to see whats in one of these blades, you see them cheap on a lot of platforms, and I had wondered what they were like. I actually bought a damascus folder cheap on ebay and it is similar quality to this.
So much info given and learned. When does price reflect quality without getting ripped off? Keep up the great work.
I hand make Damascus in a coke forge with a hammer and no press. My start price is £300 for a random pattern. I’d consider that to be cheap
I've found a safe bet is two to three times the cost of the cheap stuff is a good place to start. For instance, if you find a $20 POS knife you like, look for something similar that costs $60. Thats usually where good quality for a fair price seems to start. Not always a guarantee though, sometimes real quality starts at 4-5 times the cheapest.
I love watching these kinda tests and reviews keep em up man
This was awesome, I've bought a few folding knives like this for some friends, it's nice to know that they are real but you get what you pay for
Good review Kyle, would love to see more videos like this as there's alot bs knives claiming to be customs
Cody Wheeler and I did the same with different results and posted a video. We got some HUGE delams and found our blade to be pretty much unhardened. Just a lot of variances I guess. We had to harden the steel to break it as it just bent.
Similar knives with proper heat treatment and good handles sell at a local market for 3 to 4 hundred dollars so this looks surprisingly decent ( for the price)
A knife without good steel is like a Ferrari with a trash motor. Just doesn't do what it's supposed to do
Awesome review. About time someone did a proper review on these knives. You are right though for 35 bucks for Damascus knife with a sheath pretty good deal.
Good deal
Good times indeed
Glad you’re enjoying the vids
Dad
I think that knife is worth a couple hundred now just having Kyle run it on the grinder... I was looking at a Pakistan knife recently, and in one part of the description it said it was 1095, but elsewhere it said 4340... Which makes more sense they would be using old concrete saw blades or whatever..
I really appreciate your sense of humor. Nice to know it's not ALL business at the Master level.
Very fun video!!!
Would love to see it in pieces on the table with you asking "Will it KEEL?"
Maybe if one of the pieces gets in someone's eye and a horrible infection sets in and causes death 3 months later??? MAYBE???🙄
Good times Matt
Glad you enjoy the vids
Dad
Man, I was watching your sword making vid and your name suddenly rang a bell...yeah, indeed you are the same Kyle I drooled already a decade ago over your first works ...so now you are here! Amazing...subscribed, gonna take a deep dive in your channel. What a great find, saludos desde España maestro!
@KyleRoyerKnives Thanks! but wait...it wasn't a decade ago, it was two! My lord, where's my fading youth? ibb.co/qgCBdjb
Indeed Chzoronzon
That’s pretty neat
Fun to have you with us
Cheers
Team Royer
This guy could be talking about how ostriches can fly and I’d still watch, I just love your enthusiasm!!!
You are one of the reasons I am getting into this hobby.
Hey thanks muhammad
We have put together some great online courses designed specifically for beginners, intermediate, and advanced makers. We also are currently getting ready to offer online classes through a monthly subscription based. In depth course style tutorial videos. First class is mosaic damascus. We will offer Kyle’s detailed teachings covering a vast amount of knife related classes
Keep Forging On my friend
Dad
seems like an amazing deal for 40 bucks shipped across the world to your house. Doubt you could buy the materials for that price.
I think that what was said at the start was a bit harsh, but towards the end, you were a little more impressed. Often, these types of knives are bought because damascus steel is simply pleasant to look at and less likely to be utilitarian.
All in all, your final assessment was fair, and you made many excellent points.
I've got a couple of damacus blades, and for as useful as they may be, they'll never see the outside world.
I'd be interested to see what more expensive knives are able to stand up to your testing process. A £150 knife made with Chinese steel might present some interesting results.
May The Forge Be With You!
I mean.... It's not terrible for being so cheap.....
Great video bro. I really enjoyed watching this. 👍👍
Nice video, would love to know what other improvements you could have made to the blade other then sharpeing it.
If the steel actually was 1095 and 15n20 it could have been given a better heat treatment. The blade could have been reground to a thinner geometry.
Great video, always enjoyable to watch your vids. Would have like to seen some harder swings at that 2x4 though. Handle may have broke in your hand sooner if you had.
Good observation Dark
The 2x4 test is a constant preformance test . You’re right harder hits could be terminal for the knife
Dad
Im so glad I found this. Ive always wanted to see a smith test these types of products.
Sorry about your knife my friend
Dad
@KyleRoyerKnives I'd love to see you do more in the future! I got a knife way back when I was still in the military, supposedly an american ranger knife. But I found that it wasn't even hardened properly! Couldn't keep an edge and it rolled on basic plywood.
Good times Matt
Dad
$35 though - Amazed you can get any kind of functional pattern welded steel knife for that to be fair - I bought some cheap damascus billets of similar origin to play with and can confirm their welds are not up to par, had to forge weld up a few delaminations - Great practise for when I get to the real deal though!
Loved the breakdown. Just goes to show the shite we are duped into buying. I bet the makers have a real hard on for you Kyle 🤣👍
I'm actually impressed with what you can get for $35. You literally couldn't buy the raw materials to make that yourself for double the price. Hell, just the leather for the sheath is going to cost you $10. It's a good deal for someone that wants a blade and doesn't care about heirloom quality. Buying a nice USA produced knife like that from a reputable maker would be thousands of dollars.
With that said, there are way better performing knives out there for much less. A $15 Mora or cheap Schrade will give you more mileage and performance. Nice video man, love your work.
Your also can get other really good D2 or VG10 steel knives for a few dollars more. Also Chinese but really good quality. I have some Kubey folding knives with D2 steel and I'm impressed with the quality.
pakistan made
That's the wonder of cheap Chinese labor and materials lol
Agreed Iron
Good to have you here with us all
Team Royer
This proves to me. For the money this is actually a pretty nice knife. Thanks.
This was pretty entertaining. You make some of the most beautiful stuff I've ever seen. Keep it up bro!
A very good reason why it’s always better to purchase full tang that is visible!
I’ve got a couple of these and they’re fantastic for camping and slapping around lol decent choppers if you put an edge on them and yet again, for the price.. I’ve had wayyy worse!
There are plastic toy blades that's more expensive than that blade. Very impressed for that price.
Currently, the so-called "Damascus steel" is widely used for the production of top-class kitchen knives, but it is a material that, as a result of processing, obtains only visual characteristics similar to it, but is still very inferior to the original in terms of strength
As a kid I felled quite a few trees with just my Mora knife. I used to hold the knife at the "pommel" end and "whip" with it to get the speed up. You get weaker but faster strike and you can keep doing it longer.
Here's an idea Kyle: how about making a knife of your own to fit that sheath? Now that there's an empty sheath lying around...
Can't really go wrong with a $35 ornamental. Can also spend some time on it, clean it up and "finish" it. Would be a very functional DISPLAY piece - much better on display than as a knife. With that all said - for the money, not bad at all.
Copy copy
It’s worth the money
Like and share we appreciate it my friend
Dad
I bought one of these posh land knives some years back. It was a pretty decent knife
Tbf you can’t expect any more for $35… I’d actually say for the money that was an incredible knife
That's what I was thinking. I'm not sure why the knife was compared to one that would have costed hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Can be used as a movie props ! Nice take apart for everyone’s benefits !
It’s worth the money
Cheers
Dad
it looks pretty good. might make for a decent bit of decoration for a nook in the living room, or as a prop in the next D&D session...
The knife looked nice , Is very sad to see it get destroyed
I've actually used mild steel welded on to swords for the grip. BUT much much more robust. Almost full grip size & welded before heat treatment to normalize the weld point.
If you're wondering the difference between mass made and master made, the comment, "I couldn't even sharpen a knife for $35" says it all.
If they could sell it for that price and actually make a profit could you imagine the quality of the knife if they added $20 it could have real gold
Legend has it, the ground up bones of a sweatshop worker is used as filler for the epoxy.
@Dave Davis Pakistan tends to make a lot of cheap damascus knives.
@Dave Davis classic price subsidised with human suffering
It was probably made in a country where $300.00 per year is a good wage !
I'm absolutely new to your channel (this is only the second video I've watched) and have subscribed. I was about to ask some hard questions on your evaluation (such as how much do you charge for your knives compared to $34.99). Most people don't bend their knives in a vice, chop a 2x4 in two then try to shave, or beat the handle with a hammer. I was also about to say why not re-grind the bevel then re-sharpen. Given all the shortcomings (sheath tab on wrong side, hollow handle, welded tang) it was only a $34.99 knife. Then you redeemed it all by saying that the test had been extreme and for $34.99 it was a pretty good knife. I liked that you gave credit for it being true Damascus. I look forward to watching your videos and really liked the Damascus blank you made for the symposium in Australia.
Realistic, down to earth review.....hell, you can't even buy $35.00 with $35.00 nowadays!........
@11:50 yeah the whole thing delaminated across the middle and spalled off to one side. I agree the grain didnt look terrible most of the way through but the dark spots were concerning and yeah it looked like there were some impurities or something between the core layers. And the tang and handle was just horrifying
Maybe a stupid question but what would be the (estimated) cost for a good one?
I bought one that was 60 bucks. Looked good at first but had slight surface rust after only 2 months. Never got it sharp to my liking. And felt cheap as hell. But it did look good to people who don't know knives.
I was gonna say, if you try hard enough, you could probably get mild steel to do the same thing, hahaha. I'm a little surprised by the conclusion, though I guess as a kid I loved my "Rambo" knock off survival knife(yeah I'm old). Though it was only a few months, till the whole thing was in pieces... Hope all is well, take it easy...
Yeah, 10 year old me would have loved this thing. I was so into survival knives as a kid. Mainly the ones with the hollow handle with the little survival kits inside. And the bigger the better. I found a survival kit machete somewhere and that was the crown jewel in the collection. I had very cool trusting parents. I had a dozen guns kept in my own safe in my room by the time I was a teenager.
Dave Evader Knives , I still have my old Rambo knife from the 80’s . Loved your comment, lol
@Kyleroyerknives, thank you for this video, i never knew how little i know about the Metal Works. so many things were shown and i never even thought to entertain any Questions, hats off to you. if you do go forged in fire let us know and please get your metal billet ready before you even go on the show.
Can you please make a series, where you review low and medium budget knives like that? It would be very popular!
Thanks Chris
Team Royer
you should make more videos like this one, it was awesome!!!!
We might.... ;) :P ~ Josh
After all, some people are going to buy Walmart knives no matter what. Those of us that prefer "Real Craftsmanship" like your work, Kyle, are willing to spend a considerable amount more not just for the quality, but for the craftsmanship that was put into the creation. The test was great, as I did the same thing because I ask myself "How in the world is this guy (on Amazon) selling this bad ass looking damascus (pattern welded) knife for less than my raw materials cost.
Well, same story. The mosaic pins were inlays, the entire tang was not the same steel as the blade ect...ect...
Great Review Kyle. I super enjoy watching your videos. Kudos to your son too, by the way, what a fantastic artist!!
(Oh, my cheap damascus cost me $85)
Hey thanks Mark for chiming in
Team Royer
I've bought a few blades from that specific seller on Amazon actually, and they aren't bad for the price.
Ok I was going to have to dislike this but the ending is nice, for a $35 knife I think it went above and beyond. Ty for some thorough testing and what seems like honest opinions. I'll have to check out some more videos
Good to have you hanging out with us all my friend
Dad
Still pretty damn cool for the price. Not a bad wall hanger or even self defense knife. In the same sense that a sharp stick is also a pretty good self defense weapon.
It’s worth the money
Nice knife for $35. It's not something I'd trust my life to, but it's better than I'd have expected. I can sharpen a knife if it it'll hold an edge. The handle LOOKS nice.
The way it broke makes me wonder if that's not a layered steel with crappy metal for a core parlayed with a thin Damascus sheet and then forge welded.
I'd prefer a full tang knife, though.
Dude, I love hearing how your mom supported your passion.
I'm here getting chemo and dying laughing Kyle. Made my day. Such a deal for 34.99 lol thank god we make real knives! God Bless
@KyleRoyerKnives . God Bless and thank ya kindly.
@KyleRoyerKnives . Right now just finished round 15 of clinical trails of 2 different types of chemo. March 2nd I get another ct scan and round 16 and see if it's working at all.
Hey don
Glad you’re hanging out with us don
How far are you into treatments
Hang tough big guy
May God bless you and we will pray for those tending to you as well don.
Dad
I think as a decoration piece its a good blade for the price!
I wanted to get one of Poshland's dirks at one point. I kinda shy away from rat tail tangs like that though.
After watching the whole video that knife is badass and one hell of a bargain I want one
A friend of mine got one of these just to see how good it was. We peeled it completely apart with no problem at all. It wasn't really welded together at all I don't know how it was stuck together
Would like to see Kyle subject his knife to the same test and see how it fairs. Hmmm.
The actual question here is would Kyle's knives perform 50 or even a 100 times better.....since their price is . Other than a much better fit and finish and expensive materials used his knives are also limited to the strenght in the steel and in the materials used . :) What would a comparative test bring if the knifemaker had acces to some good steel. Would the difference still be that big ?? Its very easy to bring down product from a knifemaker that has to make a few knives a day and sell those to a vendor that sells them at a profit on the internet..... only to have some food on the table. The shops and tools they need to work in dont look as fancy either. Dont ridicule other peoples work if you dont want to be treated in the same manner . I think if i was able to afford a Royers knife....i could video destroy it easely doing things the knives are never intended for. Amen
Great idea. Oh yeah he has already done that dozens of times and passed master blade smith performance testing over and over... Great comment my friend. 👍🏻🔥☕️⚔️. Chao.
Dad
There is this Damascus pattern on Forged in fire episode that i have never seen before, it was a zigzag pattern it went up and down from side to side. Have you ever made Damascus like that before?
👍🏻
Could you try normalising the steel in one of these cheap Damascus knifes and forge/make a good knife out of it?
For that price its a not so bad knife and even if the tang is not good at all - if it breaks you can meke some smaller Damascus knife out of the huge blade :)
I wonder if it would be worth getting one and redoing the heat treat properly.
One possible material source for the blade is surplus steel multi stranded cable, heated red hot and hammer forged to a basic shape, ground to shape and acid etched.
I do cowboy action shooting and for $35 this looks like a great prop, and I'm sure as a self defense tool it work fine. As a survival knife probably not that good. It's worth $35.
The way you emphasize and joke about the name of the knife is hilarious and resonates with me. I don't know what it is about these poorly made, cheap knives... but they always have some redundant name like "SUPER SHARP GUARANTEED CUT KNIFE SLICER KNIFE GOURMET CHEF SHARP" lmao
That handle construction was weird. They saved themselves some labor by not bothering to fit up the pieces I guess.
I just ordered one. Thanks to this video I might as well return mine already :)
I see you opted for the deluxe vice too with the special duck noises mine quacks just like yours 😊
Very informative. Love it!
Hi Kyle, thanks for the valueable knowledge.
Glad you’re here my friend 👍🏻☕️🔥⚔️
Dad
It was crazy how good it did!! 😂
Well, at least it's a very pretty thing, and overall not too terribly made. As a display piece or something for light duty, you could do much worse.
why dont we ever get to see you testing the blades you make like this?
Got some early vids that show a pacifically blade testing. Every blade gets performance tested. We don’t do a destruction test on them all. Good to have you here my friend 👍🏻☕️🔥⚔️
Dad
Sad thing is, is that that 2x4 probably cost more then that knife now.
all in all still unimaginable how someone can make a knife like that for 34 $!
imagine how much $ / Hour that is...
welcome to china:)
Copy that my friend. It’s worth it
A fair and honest review
thank you
Hey you’re welcome Dump
Glad you’re here
and there is also a lot of cheap sword like objects on the market that has this kind of "rat tail tang" welded straight on the blade (some of them made of stainless steel) that some people swings around unknowingly :-)
😬
What would you charge for similar but top grade damascus made by yourself?
Have you ever considered doing a Forged in Fire challenge, as in with tight time constraints?
You can check out this video where Kyle make a knife out of a hammer in less than 3 hours. kzclip.org/video/P8rcN37js7A/бейне.html
For $35 just the sheeth alone makes it worth, honestly did a lot better than I expected it
Indeed
It’s worth the money