The main problem with redoing the temper is that you will get surface decarburization. So, the surface has to be reground and repolished and re-etched.

Also, if the temperature goes too high, you can mess up the steel pretty badly. So long as you don't exceed the critical temperature, you can reharden that blade a hundred times (no point, though). Well, at that time, you'd be grinding off a lot of the surface due to decarb and scaling, but you get the idea.

There are plenty of smiths in India who really know what they are doing with steel and can make fine blades. And plenty who just crank them out (there's a lot of labor in a good blade and not a lot of profit) and quality control can suffer.

If you are just looking for a really pretty blade, go for it! There are a fair number of SDs that are sold without any edge because the steel is not worth sharpening. It is really shiny and pretty, but not worth a darn when it comes to holding an edge. I expect the damascus job will be better than the chrome jewelry SDs.

I'm not really planning to make a bunch of blades, but what sorts of things would people want to see in a sgian dubh blade that isn't one of the commercial ones?

Examples: different length, carbon steel/stainless steel, hollow grind, full tang, whatever.

What would folks want if you could dictate your personal DIY kit blade?

-Patrick