help is this a real damascus kindjal ?
 

Help needed please !

I've just got my most recent acquisition - it's a georgain kindjal, as they sometimes do it has a damascus like pattern in a fuller.

First two photos are from my kindjal (uncleaned fuller), the last one is from a kindjal appraised by oriental-arms (you guys are the best in kindjals !) as a true damascus (fuller has been well cleaned).

Is it the same pattern/same damascus, or mine is just damascene (etched pattern, with pig's fat or wax creating the pattern) ?

Thank you so much !

I feel often "devil's avocat". From the first sight your blade looks more etched than real damascus. Take more opinions to be sure.

If I was you, I would tried some acid on it. 1/3 of vinegar and 2/3 of water for couple of hours would clear the contrast of damascus if any. But take care. Only on the blade and NOT on hilt. And clean it very well after that, dont leave any trace of acid or water on the steel.

This is only my opinion. Please wait for more expert opinions.

Hi Rivkin,

Number 1: is an acid etched pattern.
Number 2: has an acid etch I can't tell from the picture if this is on a mechanical or wootz damascus, closer pictures are needed.
Number 3: is not a true damascus (ie. wootz) but is a mechanical damascus (layered steel).

Jeff

aren't the 1st two photos the same sword? Looks like a faked pattern to me.

I would say that it looks like etching, especially the first photo; nice detail in the photo, by the way.

Thank you all very much !

Kindjal will go to ebay in couple of weeks, so I'm switching to "not really my business", also known as "I din't have the third shinsa" mode (well, I'm that dishonest as a seller) :).

Photos #1 and #2 appear to be of blades with a contrived damascus effect created with a resist (such as shellac) that is scraped away in places to create the design, then etched so that the protected areas stand proud and polished when the remaining resist is removed after the process is complete.

Photo #3 looks to be the real McCoy, i.e. a "twisted core" pattern-weld which the process seen in #1 and #2 is intended to imitate. The "flow" of the pattern looks right to me, and I note that on the borders of the narrow fullers, you can see a slight serrated or dentate effect, caused when the etching compound (an acid) ate past the resist covering the bevels. I also see a diagonal mark which looks like a lamination flaw (a cold-shut) which seems to follow the diagonal orientation of one of the twisted cores [although smiths attempt to locate the twisted cores as closely as they can to the area occupied by the fullers, they sometimes end up in a wider zone than originally anticipated; I have noticed this in my experience in polishing twist core blades from various cultures].