Wootz ingot / true Damascus

Copycat · 7th August 2023, 08:40 PM

Hello All,

Imagine having a terrible preserved wootz sword/saber etc. Should you be converting this into an ingot?

Kind regards,

Lee · 7th August 2023, 08:52 PM

No.

Interested Party · 7th August 2023, 08:53 PM

Pictures please. I'm chismoso!

Copycat · 8th August 2023, 12:06 AM

Hypothetical idea of course. It popped in head as I watched my tulwars / talwars.

werecow · 8th August 2023, 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lee

No.

What this guy said.

Interested Party · 8th August 2023, 06:02 PM

Thanks for the picture. Honestly from what I understand of the chemistry of the process I do not believe that if you took these three blades and melted them into a liquid state to create a new ingot that the resultant steel would display a wootz pattern. The possible exception (my theory) would be cutting them into small pieces, placing them into a crucible with leaves, glass, maybe some charcoal dust and sealing the crucible. Then heat the crucible slowly to the perfect temperature, I have seen several theories on what that is, and slowly cooling that over a long period. Basically, recreating the process in which the crystalline structure was formed in the first place. Interesting idea, but historically destructive. If this was my dream, I would be more inclined to repeat the Al Pendray experiment of tracking down an old mine used in historical wootz production so that you had a better chance of the correct chemical composition. Getting together 80 kg minimum of ore and processing that. Probably 320 0r 400 kg would be a better goal in that would give you 4-5 chances to get the process right given you could properly forge the wootz once it was an ingot. Interestingly enough, I discovered an iron deposit (mostly large chunks of iron oxide mixed with sand and trace gold) recently at work that I have been collecting and storing in the hope that someday I will have spare time and health enough to finish the project that I dreamed of with my grandfather when I was 12. Ironically, I would be at roughly the same age he was when we dreamed of making wootz by the time I have the time I get around to the experiment

Good luck in your adventures,
IP

Copycat · 8th August 2023, 06:35 PM

Thank you for your extensive reply.

The high risks of destroying or changing the wootz properties are off putting.

7th August 2023, 08:40 PM	#1
Copycat Member Join Date: Apr 2023 Posts: 38	Wootz ingot / true Damascus Hello All, Imagine having a terrible preserved wootz sword/saber etc. Should you be converting this into an ingot? Kind regards,

8th August 2023, 12:06 AM	#4
Copycat Member Join Date: Apr 2023 Posts: 38	Hypothetical idea of course. It popped in head as I watched my tulwars / talwars. Attached Images

8th August 2023, 06:02 PM	#6
Interested Party Member Join Date: Dec 2019 Location: Eastern Sierra Posts: 467	Thanks for the picture. Honestly from what I understand of the chemistry of the process I do not believe that if you took these three blades and melted them into a liquid state to create a new ingot that the resultant steel would display a wootz pattern. The possible exception (my theory) would be cutting them into small pieces, placing them into a crucible with leaves, glass, maybe some charcoal dust and sealing the crucible. Then heat the crucible slowly to the perfect temperature, I have seen several theories on what that is, and slowly cooling that over a long period. Basically, recreating the process in which the crystalline structure was formed in the first place. Interesting idea, but historically destructive. If this was my dream, I would be more inclined to repeat the Al Pendray experiment of tracking down an old mine used in historical wootz production so that you had a better chance of the correct chemical composition. Getting together 80 kg minimum of ore and processing that. Probably 320 0r 400 kg would be a better goal in that would give you 4-5 chances to get the process right given you could properly forge the wootz once it was an ingot. Interestingly enough, I discovered an iron deposit (mostly large chunks of iron oxide mixed with sand and trace gold) recently at work that I have been collecting and storing in the hope that someday I will have spare time and health enough to finish the project that I dreamed of with my grandfather when I was 12. Ironically, I would be at roughly the same age he was when we dreamed of making wootz by the time I have the time I get around to the experiment Good luck in your adventures, IP Last edited by Interested Party; 8th August 2023 at 06:51 PM. Reason: sentence structure

7th August 2023, 08:52 PM	#2
Lee EAAF Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Upstate New York, USA Posts: 913	No.

7th August 2023, 08:53 PM	#3
Interested Party Member Join Date: Dec 2019 Location: Eastern Sierra Posts: 467	Pictures please. I'm chismoso!

8th August 2023, 06:35 PM	#7
Copycat Member Join Date: Apr 2023 Posts: 38	Thank you for your extensive reply. The high risks of destroying or changing the wootz properties are off putting.