Crucible steel in Malela keris

[A. G. Maisey]

That is a very astute observation, IP.

Very.

Well done.

That thought never crossed my mind, but it should have.

Here is are two photos of something I made, it has over 4000 nominal layers in it, no nickel, only wrought iron & 01(oil hardening steel #1). Both sides are shown. A three stack was folded & welded 12 times. It has been heat treated, oil quench, double draw.

This was stained with ferric chloride once, & has not been touched since. No etching, no repeat washings with acid, such as is done with a keris.

Imagine what this tight layering would have done to my blade if it had been treated like a keris.

Yes, I do believe that the answer is multiple folding & welding; probably made necessary because the material from which it is made required a lot of washing --- "washing" = folding and welding in the forge to remove impurities prior to forging into a billet that can then be forged to shape prior to cold work taking place.

I've played with the photo a bit so that the grain in the metal can be seen, it is a handheld snapshot, it might be seen better if I had photographed it in a different way.