More questions about wootz

ariel · 14th November 2008, 05:40 AM

All wootz ingots I've seen weighed less than 1 kg. Khorasani writes that crucibles were filled with ~ 300-400 g of iron. A long Khanda blade weighs about a kg or more and a shamshir blade weighs ~ 600g. Some raw material must have been lost during blade making.
Question #1: were long blades made of several ingots or was I unlucky enough to see only small ingots?
Question #2: is there anything special about Turkish wootz?
Question #3: are there any differences in mechanical properties between different kinds of wootz: Kara Khorasan, Kara Toban, Kirk Narduban and Shams? I am not asking about esthetical appeal; purely practilal qualities.

14th November 2008, 05:40 AM	#1
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	More questions about wootz All wootz ingots I've seen weighed less than 1 kg. Khorasani writes that crucibles were filled with ~ 300-400 g of iron. A long Khanda blade weighs about a kg or more and a shamshir blade weighs ~ 600g. Some raw material must have been lost during blade making. Question #1: were long blades made of several ingots or was I unlucky enough to see only small ingots? Question #2: is there anything special about Turkish wootz? Question #3: are there any differences in mechanical properties between different kinds of wootz: Kara Khorasan, Kara Toban, Kirk Narduban and Shams? I am not asking about esthetical appeal; purely practilal qualities. Last edited by ariel; 14th November 2008 at 06:23 AM.