Timascus - an unusual creation

Timascus, also known as Damascus titanium or even Moku-Ti, is an innovative material both in metallurgy and in the field of custom knife making. Consisting of two or more titanium alloys (currently grades CP and 6AL4V), Timascus is corrosion resistant, non-magnetic and lightweight. It has a beautiful, high-class appearance and has no drawbacks at all.

What is this unusual alloy?

Over the past 30 years, titanium alloys have become very popular and this is all the merit of knife enthusiasts from the United States. The most popular was Timascus, a titanium composite created by American craftsmen. Its manufacturing process has been patented. The purpose of titanium Damascus was to create a corrosion-resistant, non-magnetic and lightweight laminated material that could give the knife the most beautiful appearance without flaws. Timascus consists of two or more titanium alloys (most often grades CP and 6AL4V). When heated or anodized, the colors of various alloys become different. Each titanium alloy has the potential to create a new color combination.

How Timascus is created

In general, Timascus is processed in the same way as other titanium alloys, and the welding process is similar to that of Damascus steel. To create a laminate, various layers are welded with subsequent forging. Each weld is followed by machining on a surface grinder and only then by the next weld. Grinding is what makes this material so expensive. During the grinding process, titanium is sheared off and turned into chips that cannot be used later, which means that the material consumption in the manufacture is very high. It can be up to 80% of the size of the initial work piece. To obtain the most saturated colors after each welding, more and more fine grinding is used.

Future alloy combinations will have different color profiles. (It is intended only for knife furniture, since titanium does not form carbides and does not harden enough for a reliable blade.)

Damascus titanium has become a fairly common material for the most expensive, one-of-a-kind knives. This gives them additional value and often equates them with jewelry and art objects.

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