I'd completely agree with that.. ... very good points..
i will add... something here..
if you look at one factor in steel such as grain size... if you have a large grain size, the steel won't be as tough and can crack easier..... Now... the same steel with a very small grain size will be much tougher and resist cracking
now... if you look at the 2 processes... when you forge weld steel, the temperature is very very high (yellow to white heat) and tends to grow the size of grain in the steel...... if you do not take steps to Normalize the steel.... you will have a steel that is weakened due to large grain... ... an experienced smith should know how to make the grain small again..!
The wootz forging process must be done at a lower heat.... from red to orange.... because any heat higher than that and you are very close to melting some of the components of the ingot... .. it is strange... but some components of the ingot matrix start to fall apart and the whole cake will become mushy/crumbly....
-- so by the very nature of wootz... it will force you to keep the grain structure small......
its something i'm familiar with having forged a few blades.... but i never seen it written about in the old historical accounts..
don't worry though..........if you have a patternwelded blade.... with a small grain structure .... it will be very tough steel aswell......
So it does boil down to....... a well made patternwelded or wootz blade, involves many people... if all these people do their job very well...... you'll have a very tough and beautiful sword...
Greg
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