Pattern of forging

[athena]

There are some well-known patterns, such as horse-teeth, round cloud, twistcore, etc. And there are more patterns on Tibetan blade, I even cannot call the name. How do you think of them?

[Rick]

Athena , the most common style of pattern welding seen on Tibetan blades is called 'hairpin forging' in the West .

[RSWORD]

Athena

I think for a long time collectors did not know that one could find intricate patterns in Chinese blades. In recent times, with more blades being polished to reveal the patterning, more and more people are coming to appreciate the patterns you have mentioned. I find visual laminations of any form to be a much underappreciated art form and I cannot help but think that in times past these patterns had to have held some artistic merit along with representation of the smiths skill.

[athena]

RSWORD

Here are patterns I've seen on Tibetan blade, I also think that in times past these patterns had to have held some artistic merit along with representation of the smiths skill.

[Mark]

I love the patterns in Tibetan blades. I've never seen ones as intricate as these, though, Athena. Beautiful! The first almost rather like a keris pamor.

I got a close-up look at a liu wei dao (willow leaf sabre) with a horse tooth pattern on a recent trip to Longquan (http://www.arscives.com/china/longquan.htm) in China. It actually is in the History of Steel exhibition, now (I was there helping evaluate and pick - well sort of :) - swords for the exhibition). Anyway, Zhou Zhen Wu, the owner, who is himself a great smith (again the Macao connection - he represented China in the Masters of Fire (http://www.arscives.com/mastersofire/Default.htm) exhibition), has been trying to figure out how the pattern was achieved. It is not a temper pattern (at least his wasn't), but is sanmai. So far he hasn't had success. It is one of those lost arts in Chinese swordmaking.

PS: Here's a little game of "Where's Waldo" -- can you spot me in the pictures in Antonio's article? :D

[athena]

Longquan is close to our hometown.

[Threetemper]

Beautiful patterns on both blades. I have never seen the second one before. :D