I wouldn’t touch one of those ‘Damascus’ blades for making a usable knife. There are plenty of sources of quality blades made from good carbon steel that will make a really good knife that will last for years. As it happens, Bushcraft Magazine has a really good article this month on getting or making a good knife, written by a highly regarded knife maker. Making your own takes time, but it’s very satisfying when finished. I bought a hand-forged stick-tang blade a year or so ago, and made it up last summer, sitting out in the garden.
The other option is to get a good UK legal folder, like a Spiderco Squeak, which is a really neat, very handy little knife that can easily be carried in the ticket pocket of a pair of jeans.
Here’s my little home-made knife, blade from Nik Westermann, handle is stabilised Spalted Beech:
Squeak:
The nice thing about the Squeak is the way it’s been designed to stop the blade from closing up on your fingers in use, without actually having a lock function: