Great find. Thank you Ariel. The 'Zag' has been and still is used in other Middle Eastern countries. So the legend continues indeed. However, just as wootz itself, it does not possess any mystical values, and it will not make low contrast or low quality wootz pattern appear any better. It's only advantage is that it does not expire and can be stored and reused for very long time after being mixed with water. It also may produce less yellowish residue. But what I noticed is that when it comes to mechanical Damascus - acid would develop the pattern better than Zag!
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