Types of Damascus Pattern

[Gt Obach]

we can type our fingers to the bone, in the end, people will believe what they will
english steel, wootz steel, bloom steel, patternwelded steel is the best sword steel
--- and even amongst the categories there is love/hate for the varieties
wootz - woodgrain, laddered, roses, sham, add in all the Al-Kindi varieties and even regional divides

it just boggles my mind... how blown out of proportion it can get

Ric has a way of saying it well and as you can see, covering the many varieties of steel making ... very good to read

" humans are soft and squishy "

there is no hiding from this



by the bye, my choice for wootz is because i like the steel... all the varieties of mentioned steels will make excellent sword steels capable of being fantastic for what they are tasked to do... provided the smith does his/her part to make it so

[A. G. Maisey]

Thank you Richard.

I've been following this thread and have felt inclined to comment several times, but others have already covered the bases, so there is little I could add.

It is refreshing to read a calmly objective post such as yours .

My compliments.

Alan.

[laEspadaAncha]

I am sure I speak on behalf of countless forumites "lurking" on this thread when I express my gratitude to those involved in this discussion. While having an existing understanding of the difference between pattern welded and wootz, this has been highly educational. So thanks...

In digging through some dead threads, I came across this nugget form 2005:

FYI Brief History of Crucile Damascus Steel

A great read...

[Richard Furrer]

I really look forward to Dr. Feuerbach's book when she puts it out.
I recently ran a Merv crucible run here in the shop..learned a lot even though it failed...nothing to do with Ann's input ..more operator error on my end with a new technology.

I am as opinionated as anyone..its just that, working alone as I do, I find that nobody in the room cares much what I think..and the steel cares even less.

A walk through a museum is a different experience for you than it is for me. I am looking at display as a schoolroom..items I need to deconstruct and make my own... techniques to develop and make my own. A single display case often has more work in it that I will produce in my lifetime and of a level I may only reach when my journey is near its end.
Besides...hot steel is my focus, the blade as a technology..as a process...not the many faceted other aspects of what we call arms. I leave that to you educated lot, from whom I have gleaned much.

Ric....who's interest is most often gone once the work becomes room temperature.

[Pukka Bundook]

Sorry about bringing up an older thread, but the original question was about gun barrels, ...Not swords.
As we all know, the properties desired in a barrel are opposit to what is required in an edged weapon.
A iron mix is much better than a hard cutlery steel...which would likely fail very quickly if made into a barrel!
I do not think Woots per se, was used for gun barrels.
What was required for the latter, was an iron/steel twisted ribbon, wound around a mandrel to produce a pattern, the pattern complexity depending on the smith and price afforded by the customer.
A plain iron barrel will suffice, but the iron/steel barrel is more elastic ..and looks better!
Some jezails have very high quality barrels, and were renowned for accuracy as well.
Also some of these barrels are much older than the locks put on them, as many started out as matchlocks, and were updated with European flint or percussion locks.
RDGAC,....(Nuts'n'??)

I'll look out some pics and PM you.

Richard.

[RDGAC]

Hi Richard,

Thanks for brining it back up, actually. I'd forgotten about it for the while and, as usual, it had sunk into the mud that constitutes my memory at times, and that post was informative since I know basically zilch about metallurgy. Pics would be much appreciated. And yes, I am indeed Nuts!

Best

Meredydd