First attempt at bringing back a Wootz blade
 

Just thought I would share my first attempt at bringing back this Blade.

Would welcome any feedback

Excellent, Good wootz and good work. Well done.
Are there some small rusty spots left at the base and ridge? Make sure to clean those and wash the blade with warm soapy water after etching and also keep some oil on it for a while before final cleaning.

The small brown spots are a tiny amount of the varnish that was on the Blade.

I then gave it a metal wax, is that ok to use?

Salaams templarnight ~ Good work. Nice pictures. Please detail the procedure that you followed ~ ie vinegar or fruit juice or acid and how long did it soak etc... and how did you clean the blade after?...did you use 00 paper?... as Alex was saying... and what did you use to preserve the blade after?... such as sewing machine oil or preservation wax?...Thus forum library takes a step closer to perfection. Regards Ibrahiim al Balooshi

Thanks for your kind comments.

I used a fine wire wool to remove the brown varnish.

Then a fine grade 1000 paper, but only once or twice over the Blade.

I used Ferric Chloride applied with a toothbrush, constantly stroking up and down the blade. I done this for about 2 or 3 minutes both sides.

Washed with water, dried and used a soft cloth to very lightly polish.

Then applied Renaissance Wax to it.

Hope this is of help.

Does this Wootz type have a name?

what did you use to etch?
 

What substances did you use to etch? it came out very well. oops.. i see that you answered already!

Salaams templarnight Please see forum Library by typing in Wootz for a full account especially by the author of this fine description Gt Obach ~ Quote"1) Wootz damascus is a crucible steel... some ingredients are melted in a clay crucible till liquid then cooled slowly in the vessel. The goal is to produce a ultra high carbon, dendritic steel. The ingot is then forged out into a blade using a low forge temp inorder to grow the carbide pattern. The blade is then etched and you see the waterings

2) Forgewelded damascus- several pieces of bloom steel are stacked up in a billet... (resembling a sandwich) the billet is then fluxed and forgewelded together and drawn out .... cut... restacked and repeat
- pattern is then manipulated and designs are made
- eg...like those Viking sword with twistcore" Unquote

Regards Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

Note; In India and Arabia etc the term Johar is used to describe wootz.

wootz
 

well done a round of applause from me, ive wanted to know how to do this for a while im glad you have broken the conspiracy of silence,i have collected over thirty daggers i suspect are wootz,do you have the name of a supplier please hearty thanks napoleon :

Nice, I have one almost exactly the same.

Hi.

I bought my Ferric Chloride off of Ebay, theres plenty on there. I was told by someone to dilute it, but it worked perfectly well without.

I too have discovered some 'veil of secrecy' surrounding the method to show the Wootz. I find it a bit sad that fellow collectors seemed unwilling to share their knowledge. We are all interested in the subject so why not share?

Anyway, it appears I have cracked it and Im only too pleased to let others know how.

Happy Wootz hunting!!!!

This has been no secret here for some time . :shrug: