Damascus Steel

ALEX · 22nd March 2007, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B.I

I hope anyone with experience in translating cartouches will offer their opinion.

B.I.
The stamps read: "Abbas Shah. Work of Assad Allah". (Abbas Shah ruled at 1600's). Fantastic (and real) stamps. Nice!

ariel · 22nd March 2007, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALEX

B.I.
The stamps read: "Abbas Shah. Work of Assad Allah". (Abbas Shah ruled at 1600's). Fantastic (and real) stamps. Nice!

The stamps are real, no doubt.
But what about the names? Assadullah's signature was used by a multitude of swordmakers trying to sell their wares for mucho dinero.

ALEX · 25th March 2007, 09:22 AM

Ariel,
I like what Jens had to say at this post:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1841

ariel · 11th April 2007, 01:08 AM

The manufacture of wootz blades largely ceased in India and in Iran by the middle of the 19th century.
However, Y. Miller in his book " Caucasian arms in the State Hermitage Museum" shows many examples of splendid wootz swords and kindjals dated all through the 19th century.
Any information on the occurence of earlier wootz blades of local Caucasian manufacture? Was Caucasian wootz different from Persian? Were they making wootz from scratch or used Indian ingots? If, per Dr. Feuerbach, North Caucasus was one of the earliest known places of wootz manufacture, was the technique preserved uninterruptibly?
Caucasians were sent to Zlatoust to teach Russian masters their wootz techniques; what was their influence (if any) on Anosov's revival of wootz manufacture?
These are just some questions that come to mind.

ariel · 15th May 2007, 12:48 AM

Well, my wild guess of the Indian origin of wootz blades of Persian manufacture just got a boost:
http://acier.damas.free.fr/f_damas/f...eel/indiaw.htm
WOOTZ STEEL: AN ADVANCED MATERIAL OF THE ANCIENT WORLD
by Srinivasan ( archeologist) and Ranganathan ( metallurgist).
A quote:

"Several European travellers including Francis Buchanan [8] and Voysey [9] from the 17th century onwards observed the manufacture of steel in south India by a crucible process at several locales including Mysore, Malabar and Golconda. By the late 1600's shipments running into tens of thousands of wootz ingots were traded from the Coromandel coast to Persia."
Why would Persians buy wootz ingots if they could make their own?
Perhaps, Assadollah should have put another stamp on his blades : "Made in India"

25th March 2007, 09:22 AM	#3
ALEX Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 936	Ariel, I like what Jens had to say at this post: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1841

11th April 2007, 01:08 AM	#4
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	The manufacture of wootz blades largely ceased in India and in Iran by the middle of the 19th century. However, Y. Miller in his book " Caucasian arms in the State Hermitage Museum" shows many examples of splendid wootz swords and kindjals dated all through the 19th century. Any information on the occurence of earlier wootz blades of local Caucasian manufacture? Was Caucasian wootz different from Persian? Were they making wootz from scratch or used Indian ingots? If, per Dr. Feuerbach, North Caucasus was one of the earliest known places of wootz manufacture, was the technique preserved uninterruptibly? Caucasians were sent to Zlatoust to teach Russian masters their wootz techniques; what was their influence (if any) on Anosov's revival of wootz manufacture? These are just some questions that come to mind.

15th May 2007, 12:48 AM	#5
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Well, my wild guess of the Indian origin of wootz blades of Persian manufacture just got a boost: http://acier.damas.free.fr/f_damas/f...eel/indiaw.htm WOOTZ STEEL: AN ADVANCED MATERIAL OF THE ANCIENT WORLD by Srinivasan ( archeologist) and Ranganathan ( metallurgist). A quote: "Several European travellers including Francis Buchanan [8] and Voysey [9] from the 17th century onwards observed the manufacture of steel in south India by a crucible process at several locales including Mysore, Malabar and Golconda. By the late 1600's shipments running into tens of thousands of wootz ingots were traded from the Coromandel coast to Persia." Why would Persians buy wootz ingots if they could make their own? Perhaps, Assadollah should have put another stamp on his blades : "Made in India"