South Indian katars

Ann Feuerbach · 22nd March 2005, 03:17 PM

Beautiful katar! Not all crucible steel will produce a pattern...due to carbon content, trace elements, solidification rate and forging. It is possible to polish and etch a small area and examine it under a microscope. In theory, if a wootz object is polished and etched we do not need to do anything but look at it under the microscope, however most objects have not been polished enough.

Jens Nordlunde · 22nd March 2005, 09:31 PM

Yes Ann, I know, but I stand in a dilemma, should I really polish the blade up, or leave it as it is?
I have decided to leave it, although I have polished it quite a bit, as someone had treated it with acid, probably due to heavy rust. I would have been happier had he left it, then I would have cleaned it, but I am glad to say, that he left it to the blade, and did no harm to the hilt.
One thing important to notice is the ‘sound’ of a blade/hilt. It can tell you if it is forged or cast, but further more it can tell you if the blade is part broken, if you listen carefully enough. Try with some of your blades to hit them on wood or hard with a nail, and get used to the sound, suddenly you may find a blade with another sound – and this can be important, it can mean something –then look for the course to the different sound, and maybe you find, that something is not what you thought it was.

RSWORD · 22nd March 2005, 09:43 PM

Jens

Actually I was referring to the S Indian ones. I will have to dig up a picture of a Tanjore example that I had with similar fullering as your example but the wootz was quite vivid in the fullers and the edges were polished bright. I suspected the hand guard was also wootz but no pattern was visible there either. Let me dig around and find that and share a pic.

22nd March 2005, 03:17 PM	#1
Ann Feuerbach Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 133	Beautiful katar! Not all crucible steel will produce a pattern...due to carbon content, trace elements, solidification rate and forging. It is possible to polish and etch a small area and examine it under a microscope. In theory, if a wootz object is polished and etched we do not need to do anything but look at it under the microscope, however most objects have not been polished enough.

22nd March 2005, 09:31 PM	#2
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	Yes Ann, I know, but I stand in a dilemma, should I really polish the blade up, or leave it as it is? I have decided to leave it, although I have polished it quite a bit, as someone had treated it with acid, probably due to heavy rust. I would have been happier had he left it, then I would have cleaned it, but I am glad to say, that he left it to the blade, and did no harm to the hilt. One thing important to notice is the ‘sound’ of a blade/hilt. It can tell you if it is forged or cast, but further more it can tell you if the blade is part broken, if you listen carefully enough. Try with some of your blades to hit them on wood or hard with a nail, and get used to the sound, suddenly you may find a blade with another sound – and this can be important, it can mean something –then look for the course to the different sound, and maybe you find, that something is not what you thought it was.

22nd March 2005, 09:43 PM	#3
RSWORD Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 1,089	Jens Actually I was referring to the S Indian ones. I will have to dig up a picture of a Tanjore example that I had with similar fullering as your example but the wootz was quite vivid in the fullers and the edges were polished bright. I suspected the hand guard was also wootz but no pattern was visible there either. Let me dig around and find that and share a pic.