SPECIFICATIONS:

The name of the knife: GATOR (GATOR) exclusive collectible folding knife handmade by the LESBAR KNIVES studio, buy to order in Ukraine, steel - Blade RWL-34™, 61-62 HRC
Knife type: Folding blade
Brand: KUSTOM KNIVES studio of exclusive handmade knives

Model: GATOR (GATOR) exclusive collectible folding knife handmade by the LESBAR KNIVES studio, buy to order in Ukraine, steel - Blade RWL-34™, 61-62 HRC
Model number: 014
Country of birth: Ukraine
Craftsman: Master Oleg Lesyuchevskyi, Serhii Baranovskyi (KUSTOM KNIVES), Irpin, Ukraine, KUSTOM KNIVES studio of exclusive handmade knives
Best use: Multi-purpose: Hunting, Fishing, Tourism, Household, Carcass Splitting, Slicing
Knife condition: New
The price is indicated with the sheath.

A sharpened knife is not a cold weapon.

Our knives are very sharp, so open and use very carefully. We are not responsible for injuries related to the use of our knives.
Our products are intended for legal use only by responsible buyers. We will not sell our products to anyone under the age of 18.

Availability changes regularly, upon confirmation of your order, we will inform you about the availability or when the product will be ready. The product may differ slightly from the one shown in the photo.

Powdered steel RWL-34™

RWL-34 is a powdered, high-carbon steel additionally alloyed with molybdenum and vanadium, with average corrosion resistance, produced by the Swedish company Damasteel AB. Steel has no direct domestic analogues. The closest foreign analogue is the American powder steel Crucible CPM® 154 , produced by the Crucible Industries concern.

RWL-34 is one of the most affordable modern powder steels with a good reputation. It has a good combination of cutting edge durability, corrosion resistance and mechanical characteristics, and holds a thin cutting edge well. With high hardness, the steel is well processed - ground and polished, excellent for blades of complex geometry, one of the best steels for artistic etching.

Powder manufacturing technology produces very uniform, high-quality steel that has superior stability, uniformity and toughness compared to traditional heat-produced steels.

Powder high-speed steel was developed in the late 60s of the last century in Sweden. The powder metallurgy method makes it possible to introduce more alloying elements into steel without reducing strength and workability.

Powdered steel, unlike ordinary steel, is fed in molten form through a special nozzle through a stream of liquid nitrogen. The steel quickly hardens into small particles. The result is a powder with a uniform arrangement of carbides (the place where carbides accumulate is the place where cracks nucleate). Carbides perform the same function in steel as cobblestones on the street: they (carbides) are harder than the steel surrounding them and help increase its wear resistance.

The resulting powder is sifted and placed in a steel container, in which a vacuum is created. Next, the contents of the container are sintered at high temperature and pressure - thus achieving uniformity of the material. This process is called hot isostatic pressing. After this, the steel is pressure treated. The result is a high-speed steel with very small carbide particles evenly distributed in the steel base. The resulting steel can be rolled in the traditional way, just like commercial steel grades, resulting in increased strength.

Differences in the wear resistance of different grades of powder steel are explained by the presence of different carbides in their composition in different proportions and with different uniformity of distribution throughout the entire volume of steel. Of two steels that have approximately the same hardness, the one that contains more carbides or is harder will be more wear-resistant.

Steel composition:

C 1.05% - the carbon content in the alloy is 1.05%. Carbon is the most important element in steel; it increases its strength and gives the metal good hardness.

Cr 14.0% - the chromium content in the alloy is 14.0%. Chrome is a grayish-white, shiny, hard metal. Chromium affects the ability of steel to harden, gives the alloy anti-corrosion properties and increases its wear resistance. Contained in stainless steel of any grade.

Mo 2.0% - the molybdenum content in the alloy is 2.0%. Molybdenum is a silvery-white metal. Molybdenum is a hard-melting element; it prevents the blade from becoming brittle and brittle, giving it the necessary rigidity and making it quite resistant to high temperatures.

V 4.0% - the vanadium content in the alloy is 4.0%. Vanadium is a greyish-white shiny metal with great hardness. It is responsible for elasticity and enhances the properties of chromium, making the metal inert to aggressive chemical environments.

Si 0.5% - silicon content in the alloy - 0.5%. Silicon increases the strength and wear resistance of steel. Like manganese, it makes steel more stable and reliable.

Mn 0.5% - the manganese content in the alloy is 0.5%. Manganese is used at the steelmaking stage. Capable of increasing the hardness of steel. Various durable things are made from steels with a significant manganese content - rails, safes, and so on.

Damascus and Damasteel. Let's understand the differences and nuances.

People who are looking for a Damascus steel blade for themselves often notice another steel called Damasteel in search filters . What is the difference between this steel and ordinary Damascus? Short answer: The difference is in the production process and, as a result, other properties. We will consider these points in more detail below.

Traditional Damascus steel.

In the traditional process of creating Damascus steel, a blacksmith welds and presses two or more types of steel into layers. In forging, steel is bent repeatedly until there are 100 or more layers in the workpiece . The workpiece is heated, beaten, and folded many times. The precise patterns on the blade are created by twisting, folding and pulling the workpiece. 

Overall, this process creates a very strong blade, but its durability is due to the steel alloys that are initially chosen. Depending on the steel used, Damascus may or may not be stainless. To prevent Damascus steel from rusting, all steel included in the package must contain at least 14% chromium . 

The pattern in Damascus steel is only revealed visually when the steel is cleaned, prepared and acid etched. The two types of steel may react differently to oxidation.

Damascus steel blade

Damasteel

Damasteel begins with a steel production process using gas atomization. Molten steel is passed through a nozzle and sprayed. The resulting fine steel powder particles have an ideal spherical shape with a high level of purity and an even distribution of carbides. 

This powder is then collected into a canister, which is sealed, compacted and bound using a process called hot isostatic pressing (HIP) . After the HIP process, the size of the steel material is reduced by approximately 30%. The steel has no welds, making it structurally extremely strong.

After this, the capsule is forged, and rolled in a special way to obtain different patterns. This patterning phase is very similar in both steels. Damasteel comes in a wide range and includes various complex patterns: rose, raindrops and many others.

Benchmade Bugout folding knife steel Munin Damasteel
 

Advantages of Damasteel steel

The advantage of the gas atomization and HIP process is that Damasteel contains fewer impurities than traditional Damascus steel.

Damasteel uses RWL34 and PMC27 steels . RWL34 is a Swedish-made knife steel named after the legendary knife of Robert Bob Loveless . It is most similar to CPM 154 and chemically similar to ATS 34.

When etched, RWL 34 appears as a lighter color pattern in the overall pattern. The second steel in Damascus steel is stainless PMC27, which is also produced in Sweden. Etching produces a darker pattern. Both of these composite steels are manufactured using gas atomization and provide improved toughness and edge retention compared to conventional steels.

Conclusion

Overall, both traditional Damascus and Damasteel have the beauty and uniqueness that makes this material famous. Damasteel, however, may be a better option if you are looking for high-performance Damascus, or are interested in stainless properties. Damasteel has a slightly different pattern than traditional damask, and the resulting visual styles are a distinctive feature.