The Original Dhu'l-Faqar

[AhmedH]

Originally Posted by Richard Furrer

Hello All,
I am coming into this discussion late and ignorant (as usual), but if there are any metallographic studies done on this or other similar blades I would like to see them.

This type of sword is on my radar and has been for some time, but there is scant physical studies on the subject.
With a bit more information on the metallurgy some reasonable experimental copies could be made for testing.

Ric

Welcome back, Richard!

Regarding metalographic studies done on this blade, I do not know any. However, I'll tell what I've experimented, observed, and concluded:

1- The blade is flexible and elastic; something which reveals it was made from superior steel with superior quenching and tempering. The blade springs back very well after you bend it. This proves the superiority of the steel from which it was forged.

2- The damask on the surface of the blade is rather small; even smaller than that of most other Arab blades preserved in Topkapi. This proves that the blade was made of crucible steel; as the blade is certainly not pattern-welded. The damask is what al-Kindi described as Indian damask; not Yemeni damask.

BTW, can you know, via metalography, the age of a certain blade? Please explain further...

Thanks a lot in advance, Sir!

Best regards,
Ahmed Helal Hussein