Yes, My good Forty, it is all your imagination.
there is nothing wrong, it's just a bad dream.
you are not really awake yet.
go get another cup of coffee....... .
Actually it all depends on the steel mix and the heat-treatment . (By Damascus I am sure you are refering to pattern-welded stock) If the maker used a high nickel or very high carbon steel in the layers it can be hellacious to sharpen when you hit that band or layer.
My Lovely Spousal Unit just fulfilled several childhood "knife dreams" of mine, and got me several vintage old-stock genuine German Made Puma Knives - a White Hunter ( a long time dream knife) a Puma Bowie and an Earl lockblade pocketknife - all with stag handles.
The Pumas are notoriously hard, they rockwell ~ 57-59 and take forever to sharpen. But once sharp, they hold that edge nigh on forever. I dare say the hard layer in your Damask Knife is right up there!
When I used to blacksmith I could harden, then temper back to whatever hardness was desired, but few folks wanted that hard a blade as they just did not have the patience to sharpen it.
btw did you get those cut-proof gloves yet?
yhs
prof marvel