True Combat Value of Wootz

[Jeff Pringle]

Given its hypoeutectoid composition, did you quench harden it? Are the patterns due to Ferrite or carbides?

Yes, its quenched in oil, from not too far above the critical temperature. There is a 'Hamon' effect due to the edge hardening but not the thicker part of the blade. Low alloy steels like wootz are very shallow hardening, so only the edge area cools fast enough to harden when you quench into oil.
The pattern is due to the natural alloy segragation that happens during ingot solidification; since it is not too far from the eutectiod, the pattern cannot be from excess carbides or excess ferrite. In higher carbon wootz, the carbides are just along for the ride, the pattern fundamentally comes from the difference in composition of the first and last parts of the melt to solidify.