Wootz blade

Conduit · 27th June 2019, 05:05 AM

Dear members, I would like to kindly request your opinions on this blade which appears to be made of wootz steel.
I am a newbie to ethnographic weapons but this one seems to be someone fishy to me.

Lee · 27th June 2019, 11:00 AM

This blade is made of a coarsely laminated steel in which layers of contrasting alloys have first been forged parallel to the flat faces of the 'proto -' blade and then a design drilled out and the whole then reforged flat and ground to disclose the disturbances created in the layering. It appears to be a good piece of work although I cannot tell how old it is.

Please see
this article elsewhere on the site for a further discussion.

mahratt · 27th June 2019, 02:09 PM

This is a modern work from India or Pakistan ... The end of the 20-th century ...

Anthony G. · 27th June 2019, 04:09 PM

I have a collector friend who owns wootz steel persian antique blade bought from christie. Old blade does not looks new, that is one of the sign. And real old wootz steel blade costs a bomb due to the rarity. This blade looks new.........

Battara · 27th June 2019, 06:41 PM

I agree. Many of these "bird's eye damascus" blades are being sold in mass quantities from India (and Pakistan). Even the koftgari is new in style.

mariusgmioc · 27th June 2019, 10:23 PM

Unfortunately, like you can learn from the previous comments, this is not a wootz blade, but a pattern welded one.

And it is a very poor quality one. This type of blades are in most cases so soft that they cannot hold an edge and are easily bent.

I suggest you learn about the differences between WOOTZ (the oriental/antique/original "Damascus" steel) and PATTERN WELDED STEEL (what many call "Damascus" these days).

A good point to start would be Leo Figiel's book "On Damascus Steel."

27th June 2019, 05:05 AM	#1
Conduit Member Join Date: Jun 2019 Posts: 30	Wootz blade Dear members, I would like to kindly request your opinions on this blade which appears to be made of wootz steel. I am a newbie to ethnographic weapons but this one seems to be someone fishy to me. Attached Images

27th June 2019, 11:00 AM	#2
Lee EAAF Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Upstate New York, USA Posts: 889	Not wootz, but... This blade is made of a coarsely laminated steel in which layers of contrasting alloys have first been forged parallel to the flat faces of the 'proto -' blade and then a design drilled out and the whole then reforged flat and ground to disclose the disturbances created in the layering. It appears to be a good piece of work although I cannot tell how old it is. Please see this article elsewhere on the site for a further discussion.

27th June 2019, 02:09 PM	#3
mahratt Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Russia Posts: 1,042	This is a modern work from India or Pakistan ... The end of the 20-th century ...

27th June 2019, 04:09 PM	#4
Anthony G. Member Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 457	I have a collector friend who owns wootz steel persian antique blade bought from christie. Old blade does not looks new, that is one of the sign. And real old wootz steel blade costs a bomb due to the rarity. This blade looks new.........

27th June 2019, 06:41 PM	#5
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,139	I agree. Many of these "bird's eye damascus" blades are being sold in mass quantities from India (and Pakistan). Even the koftgari is new in style.

27th June 2019, 10:23 PM	#6
mariusgmioc Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Austria Posts: 1,871	Unfortunately, like you can learn from the previous comments, this is not a wootz blade, but a pattern welded one. And it is a very poor quality one. This type of blades are in most cases so soft that they cannot hold an edge and are easily bent. I suggest you learn about the differences between WOOTZ (the oriental/antique/original "Damascus" steel) and PATTERN WELDED STEEL (what many call "Damascus" these days). A good point to start would be Leo Figiel's book "On Damascus Steel."