Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

ariel · 15th May 2007, 12:48 AM

Well, my wild guess of the Indian origin of wootz blades of Persian manufacture just got a boost:
http://acier.damas.free.fr/f_damas/f...eel/indiaw.htm
WOOTZ STEEL: AN ADVANCED MATERIAL OF THE ANCIENT WORLD
by Srinivasan ( archeologist) and Ranganathan ( metallurgist).
A quote:

"Several European travellers including Francis Buchanan [8] and Voysey [9] from the 17th century onwards observed the manufacture of steel in south India by a crucible process at several locales including Mysore, Malabar and Golconda. By the late 1600's shipments running into tens of thousands of wootz ingots were traded from the Coromandel coast to Persia."
Why would Persians buy wootz ingots if they could make their own?
Perhaps, Assadollah should have put another stamp on his blades : "Made in India"

15th May 2007, 12:48 AM	#18
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Well, my wild guess of the Indian origin of wootz blades of Persian manufacture just got a boost: http://acier.damas.free.fr/f_damas/f...eel/indiaw.htm WOOTZ STEEL: AN ADVANCED MATERIAL OF THE ANCIENT WORLD by Srinivasan ( archeologist) and Ranganathan ( metallurgist). A quote: "Several European travellers including Francis Buchanan [8] and Voysey [9] from the 17th century onwards observed the manufacture of steel in south India by a crucible process at several locales including Mysore, Malabar and Golconda. By the late 1600's shipments running into tens of thousands of wootz ingots were traded from the Coromandel coast to Persia." Why would Persians buy wootz ingots if they could make their own? Perhaps, Assadollah should have put another stamp on his blades : "Made in India"