Is it wootz (sham)?

[ariel]

Please look here:
http://talks.guns.ru/forummessage/79/405583.html
Any opinions?

[ALEX]

My first guess was for wootz. Not the best quality pattern, but I think it is wootz... if judging by appearance. The chemanalysis would propably not confirm it:-)
Sham is by definition low contrast, and the contrast is high here, hence I'd not vote for sham.

[Dom]

Sham is by definition low contrast, and the contrast is high here, hence I'd not vote for sham.
apparently, it's not a "Johar" I mean Arabic Damas :p

à +

Dom

[RSWORD]

In the woostz spectrum, most patterns with a very elongated grain, like this one, I would typically refer to as sham. As Alex states, most sham tends to have low contrast but I have seen over the years some with bolder contrast but all always have the real elongated pattern.

[ariel]

OK, next step:
This is an old Russian dagger.
Would it be Anosov/Chernov's bulat?