[TheForge] raindrop damascus

[Daniel Kretchmar]

Hey all
   Could someone tell me how to make "raindrop damascus"  I saw the pattern in 
a knife magazine and I think I figured it out but I want to be sure before I 
try it.  
   I figure you make a regular billet and then use a round punch to make 
indents on the surface and then grind it down. The ad said the knife had the 
raindrop pattern on both sides which implies that you could have it on only one 
side.  Punch a pattern into the surface on both sides?  Did I guess right?

I suppose that if you hit too hard or grind too deep, the two patterns would 
interfere with each other. 

I have done parquet damascus but that pattern is all the way through.  My 
parquet didn't look too smooth since all my welds didn't take but it was still 
pretty cool.

I am still having trouble making sure that no scale gets into the welds.  Any 
suggestions for cleaner forge welds? How do I insure that the weld is clean all 
the way through?

Daniel Kretchmar
www.irontreeworks.com

Isn't sanity really just a one trick pony, anyway? I mean, all you get is one 
trick, rational thinking! But when you're good and crazy�ooh hoo hoo hoo�the 
sky's the limit! 
The Tick