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Originally Posted by Rivkin
I thought for example Anosov used graphite instead of traditional materials such as coal/wood.
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Usually graphite is found in cast (pig) iron being connected with a too much
high carbon content (2,8%-3,8%). I wonder if the burning of graphite
in these experiments can be connected with transferring some carbon to
steel or simply because it achieve the needed temperature in a faster
way or it can hold such temperature longer (only supposing about these two
last properties of graphite).
Japanese smiths transfer carbon to the blade using vegetal fiber wrapping
in certain stages of the smithing. Might be that putting steel into a
burning graphite bed is intended to the same aim to compensate the
carbon loss during the smithing ? Are wootz/crucible steel blades
folded many times as the japanese ones, meaning a loss of carbon in the
process and so needing a trick to maintain high the carbon content ?