Magnetic weapons

Jens Nordlunde · 1st April 2005, 09:22 AM

Hi Battara,

The katar shown has a funny history. I got it almost thirty years ago, in England I think, and a year or two ago I showed a picture of it to a friend, shortly after he came back with the following story, after having visited a friend of his, who has some books about English cutlers. They agreed that it was hardly an Indian mark on the little knife – but it could be English – so they started to look through the books: The small knife has a cutlers mark in the blade. The mark belonged to John Jencks, 1576-1625. He got his cutlers mark in London 1606-7. He was born in Blackfriars and died in the Tower of London. His mark was a thistle and a dagger.

For further study see: J.F.Hayward: English Cutlery. Victoria & Albert Museum, 1957. Masterpieces of Cutlery and the Art of Eating. Victoria & Albert Museum, 1979.

I forgot the cutlers mark.

Jens Nordlunde · 2nd April 2005, 04:28 PM

In the book ‘The Arms and Armour of Arabia’, Robert Elgood quotes G.C.M. Birdwood, who in 1880, in ‘The Industrial Arts of India’ wrote: ’20 miles east of Nirmal, and a few miles south of the Shisha hills, occurs the hornblended slate or schist from which the magnetic iron used for ages in the manufacture of Damascus steel, and by the Persians for their swordblades, is still obtained.’

Further more it is mentioned, that the steel was superior to the English, and even to the best Swedish steel.

Nirmal is situated about 280 miles from Hyderabad – should anyone star to wonder where it is.

If the steel, which Birdwood refers to, is lodestone, one of my earlier questions is answered: ‘Was lodestone used for weapons?’ The answer must be yes – definitely.

But it was not all lodestone, which is/was magnetic, it took a lightening to make it magnetic. If a lightening hit a lodestone ore, would the whole ore be magnetic – or only part of the ore?

Jens

1st April 2005, 09:22 AM	#1
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	Hi Battara, The katar shown has a funny history. I got it almost thirty years ago, in England I think, and a year or two ago I showed a picture of it to a friend, shortly after he came back with the following story, after having visited a friend of his, who has some books about English cutlers. They agreed that it was hardly an Indian mark on the little knife – but it could be English – so they started to look through the books: The small knife has a cutlers mark in the blade. The mark belonged to John Jencks, 1576-1625. He got his cutlers mark in London 1606-7. He was born in Blackfriars and died in the Tower of London. His mark was a thistle and a dagger. For further study see: J.F.Hayward: English Cutlery. Victoria & Albert Museum, 1957. Masterpieces of Cutlery and the Art of Eating. Victoria & Albert Museum, 1979. I forgot the cutlers mark. Attached Images Last edited by Jens Nordlunde; 1st April 2005 at 01:26 PM.

2nd April 2005, 04:28 PM	#2
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	In the book ‘The Arms and Armour of Arabia’, Robert Elgood quotes G.C.M. Birdwood, who in 1880, in ‘The Industrial Arts of India’ wrote: ’20 miles east of Nirmal, and a few miles south of the Shisha hills, occurs the hornblended slate or schist from which the magnetic iron used for ages in the manufacture of Damascus steel, and by the Persians for their swordblades, is still obtained.’ Further more it is mentioned, that the steel was superior to the English, and even to the best Swedish steel. Nirmal is situated about 280 miles from Hyderabad – should anyone star to wonder where it is. If the steel, which Birdwood refers to, is lodestone, one of my earlier questions is answered: ‘Was lodestone used for weapons?’ The answer must be yes – definitely. But it was not all lodestone, which is/was magnetic, it took a lightening to make it magnetic. If a lightening hit a lodestone ore, would the whole ore be magnetic – or only part of the ore? Jens