Damascene and Pamor

[A. G. Maisey]

Actually Jason, the words "damascene", "damascus", and "damask" can be very confusing and misleading if we do not use them with care.

The English usage of "damascene" is to refer to a type of fabric with a raised design woven into it, or to a method of ornamenting metal with inlaid gold or silver, or to a watered pattern.

When the word "damascus" is combined with either the word "iron", or "steel", it refers to iron and steel welded together in imitation of Damask Steel.

The first known use of the phrase "damask steel" occurred in 1603 , and in the English Language can refer to either steel manufactured at Damascus---that which we would now probably call wootz--- or to its imitation, created as I mention above.

The word "wootz" first appeared in the English Language at the end of the 18th century, but it is only in very recent times that its use has become widespread, probably because of the rise of the custom knife industry.

Damasteel is actually a tradename for a type of factory produced steel having similar appearance to mechanical damascus steel.

http://www.damasteel.com/index.html