A question about blade materials

[not2sharp]

We put a premium on weapons that show evidence of a pattern welded or wootz blade; but, when we are talking about a preindustrial manufacturing process, what other kinds of steel were there? Weren't these techniques used to raise the carbon content of iron to levels that were suitable for edge weapons; and, if so wouldn't the same process have been used for most edged weapons? Could the difference between wootz and other contemporary weapons be simply one artifact shows a clear pattern while the other has the pattern obscured by oxidation and patination?

n2s