Why were the ingots mostly round?

[Jens Nordlunde]

I see what you mean Jeff. How deep is a crack? If it is not too deep, you could make the blade a bit broader and grind the crack away – or is this solution too easy?

Interesting subject you bring forward Brian. I know tulwars exists having two different wootz patterns, one on each side, or wootz one side and steel without pattern on the other, but if it was possible to sandwich two half’s of a blade together, why does the cracks give so big problems? The wootz should be worked, like Puff writes, at cherry colour at about 800 C, and I understand it is rather difficult to work the wootz at such a low temperature. A higher temperature would make it easier, and also possible to remove the crack, but then the wootz pattern would have gone. I have a feeling that I am missing something – but what?

The attached picture is from a tulwar, I know it is not wootz, but have a look at the picture to the right – what is this, is it a crack or is it a scarf weld?