Photo's of various types of watered steels

[RSWORD]

I think Dr. Ann did a great job in her article on crucible damascus steel or wootz as I like to call it. I decided to provide a visual aid illustrating various types of steels which exhibit surface patterns. I do not have examples of all types of course but thought this would make for a good visual presentation. I apologize in advance for the number of pictures but I was having fun taking pictures of all the different patterns. The first grouping:

1) This is from a Turkish Yataghan blade. It is forged of 8 rows of twist-core pattern welded steel. The spine and edge are an iron/steel laminate that have been forge welded to the twist cores.

2) This is from an Indian Saber and represents one of the nicest pure pattern welded blades I have seen.

3) This is from a blade on a tribal shaska. It is wootz and probably originates from Persia/Turkey/Azerbaijan.

4) This is from a Chinese Saber blade and is referred to as Qianqang. It is a type of pattern welded steel where a high carbon edge is sandwhiched between "cheeks" of softer steel. It exhibits a nice pattern along the edge.

5) This is from a Chinese Jian blade and is referred to as San Mei. Again, a high carbon steel is sandwhiched to a softer body so that both edges are of the high carbon steel and the body is the softer steel. The pattern on this one is a lamellar one with nice crystallization along the edges from the heat treatment.

6) This is from a Moro Kris blade. It is a mechanical damascus core that has been sandwhiched between "cheeks" of lamellar steel and then a high carbon steel has been forge welded to the edges and is almost worn away in many spots. Mechanical damascus is where the steel is manipulated prior to grounding and this manipulation effects the pattern of the blade.