Restauration of antique oriental Damascus / Wootz blades

[mariusgmioc]

Originally Posted by Roland_M

Hello Jens,

I have tried out a lot of etchants and in my honest opinion the original Zag (Iron + Sulfur but not Vitriol!) is still the best etchant. Difficult to work with, but fantastic results, if one do it right . Very good for pattern welded steel and wootz. Similar results like the original treatment.

The Dha/Dao from Sajen was recently etched with Zag for example.

But everybody has different experiences and preferences.


Roland

Hello Roland,

Also using Nital I got results absolutely identical to (by no means discernable from) originally etched blades.

I got a magnificent black Kara Taban wootz kard that had a lighter area near the hilt so I had it polished (basically just cleaned the old etching with Pre-lim) and re-etched and got exactly the same I had before: a magnificent black Kara Taban pattern and much lighter area near the hilt where the etchant didn't appear to have the same effect (I assume because of different heat treatments to the blade, that led to different micro-cristalline structure of the steel).

Besides, Nital is very easy and reasonably safe to work with.


Maybe once I get home I will post some photos of my older results (but I know you also got excellent results with Zag)

PS: In the next future I will have to etch a few of my new aquisitions and I may make the effort to document the process with Photos.

[Roland_M]

Originally Posted by mariusgmioc

Hello Roland,

Also using Nital I got results absolutely identical to (by no means discernable from) originally etched blades.

I got a magnificent black Kara Taban wootz kard that had a lighter area near the hilt so I had it polished (basically just cleaned the old etching with Pre-lim) and re-etched and got exactly the same I had before: a magnificent black Kara Taban pattern and much lighter area near the hilt where the etchant didn't appear to have the same effect (I assume because of different heat treatments to the blade, that led to different micro-cristalline structure of the steel).

Besides, Nital is very easy and reasonably safe to work with.


Maybe once I get home I will post some photos of my older results (but I know you also got excellent results with Zag)

PS: In the next future I will have to etch a few of my new aquisitions and I may make the effort to document the process with Photos.

Hi Marius,

I'm very interested to see your black Kara Taban wootz kard and other blades here.

Oh and since two weeks or so I'm using Fe2(SO4)3 (Iron(III) sulfate=Zag) instead of Na2S2O8 (Sodium persulfate).


Roland

[mariusgmioc]

Today is very dark outside and I arrived late. And in order o take some relevant photos of the Kard I need plenty of natural light.

So I am posting some photos of a Pesh-kabz I etched.

PS: I find it is much more difficult to take good photos of the etching than to do the etching.

[Jens Nordlunde]

Marius,
It is a very nice dagger, and I think you have taken some very good pictures of the wootz - thank you very much.
I will have another look at the to morrow.

[Roland_M]

Thank you for the pictures, very nice blade and etching job!

Now I remember, that you already showed the pictures to me and I would be happy, if my blades are look as good as yours.


Roland

[mariusgmioc]

Originally Posted by Roland_M

Thank you for the pictures, very nice blade and etching job!

Now I remember, that you already showed the pictures to me and I would be happy, if my blades are look as good as yours.


Roland

It's easy! Really easy working with Nital! Only polishing is more time consuming but that you already know better than me.


Just annoys me that I have to buy it from the US.

[ariel]

Are you buying it with your home address?

All sites I know specify " industrial use" and request industrial address.
I have a friend who buys it for me and gets it at his factory.

[mariusgmioc]

Originally Posted by ariel

Are you buying it with your home address?

All sites I know specify " industrial use" and request industrial address.
I have a friend who buys it for me and gets it at his factory.

No, because the seller does not offer shipping to Europe but only to continental US. So I have it shipped to my friends' house in US and they send it to me in the Netherlands.

There is no restriction from where I buy it. Will send you the link via PM.

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by mariusgmioc

So I am posting some photos of a Pesh-kabz I etched.

I would call this a karud, the straight bladed version of the pesh-kabz.
Nice looking one.

[mariusgmioc]

Originally Posted by estcrh

I would call this a karud, the straight bladed version of the pesh-kabz.
Nice looking one.

Hello Estcrh,

To which one you are referring? I assume the first one, right?

The term Karud does not exist in any of the languages of people that use this type of knifes and it probably appeared as a misnomer for Kard (at least that's what I know, but I may be wrong ). So I would rather not use it and stick to the term Pesh-kabz.

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by mariusgmioc

Hello Estcrh,

To which one you are referring? I assume the first one, right?

The term Karud does not exist in any of the languages of people that use this type of knifes and it probably appeared as a misnomer for Kard (at least that's what I know, but I may be wrong ). So I would rather not use it and stick to the term Pesh-kabz.

A lot of terms that we use to describe different weapons (and armors) do not exist in the language of the people that use them as far as we are able to know from the scant evidence available us. You can use any term you want but there is a stark difference between the weapon called pesh-kabz and the weapon called karud in our times.

Do you really think that these two daggers are the same? I certainly do not and many very knowledgeable people do not. These terms are used to differentiate between various types of weapons and are not necessarily tied to any other cultures use of the same term.

[mariusgmioc]

Originally Posted by estcrh

A lot of terms that we use to describe different weapons (and armors) do not exist in the language of the people that use them as far as we are able to know from the scant evidence available us. You can use any term you want but there is a stark difference between the weapon called pesh-kabz and the weapon called karud in our times.

Do you really think that these two daggers are the same? I certainly do not and many very knowledgeable people do not. These terms are used to differentiate between various types of weapons and are not necessarily tied to any other cultures use of the same term.

I believe I understand your point, and I believe it deserves some debate, as I would be interested to know what other people think and whetehr the term is generally accepted in our field.

So I will open a new thread and see where it will lead.

Regards,

Marius