Historical Khanjar

Jim McDougall · 1st November 2018, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kubur

Yes classic 70ties Omani khanjar mounted or re-mounted with a fake wootz Indian blade and a fake inscription on it, is it Barka or Baraka?

I am really unclear on the notion of 'fake' wootz. Could this be a genuinely older blade made in India or by an Indian artisan in Arabia....perhaps remounted as often the case with heirloom weapons?
It seems that it has been stated that Barka is indeed a place in Oman which the apparent contraction brka may refer to. The fact that the style is in accord with that of these regions makes the association compelling.

Good memories on the thread here on the forts and cannon of Oman. ..a fascinating topic with interesting context for this khanjhar.

Battara · 1st November 2018, 11:06 PM

When I hear fake wootz I think of the method of etching the blade with a wax resist so that you get a pattern that is etched into the blade that looks like wootz.

mariusgmioc · 2nd November 2018, 12:03 AM

The blade is almost certainly Indian, and and of fairly recent production (last 50 years).

However, is neither wootz, nor "fake" wootz, but plain pattern welded.

We can talk about "fake wootz" when a pattern resembling wootz is etched or engraved on a plain blade to make it resemble wootz.

.... my two cents...

PS: Many Omani khanjars were fitted with Indian blades, and almost all the khanjars made in the last 20 years have them.

mahratt · 2nd November 2018, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mariusgmioc

The blade is almost certainly Indian, and and of fairly recent production (last 50 years).

However, is neither wootz, nor "fake" wootz, but plain pattern welded.

We can talk about "fake wootz" when a pattern resembling wootz is etched or engraved on a plain blade to make it resemble wootz.

.... my two cents...

PS: Many Omani khanjars were fitted with Indian blades, and almost all the khanjars made in the last 20 years have them.

Marius is undoubtedly right. This is - pattern welded, which is also called Damascus. This is not an "artificial pattern" obtained by etching ordinary steel.

I apologize for saying well-known truths now:

Damascus steel, with a large pattern, as here on the blade of this Omani Khanjar, is obtained by repeatedly forging a workpiece, when the blacksmith twists the metal so that many layers are obtained (that is, the Damascus pattern is obtained mechanically)

Wootz - "Bulat" (wootz steel) with a small pattern is steel from the crucible (that is, the drawing of wootz was originally incorporated in the smelted billet).

Summary: on the blade of this Khandjar we see Damascus steel

ariel · 2nd November 2018, 09:31 AM

Jim,
Please see ##6,7 and 11.
The blade of this khanjar is made of a real pattern-welded steel ( also called “mechanical Damascus”).
Wootz is a crucible steel.
Wax resist is a technique aimed at imitating the above patterns, with the beauty being only skin deep:-)

Jim McDougall · 2nd November 2018, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Battara

When I hear fake wootz I think of the method of etching the blade with a wax resist so that you get a pattern that is etched into the blade that looks like wootz.

I am really bad at the metallurgical aspects on blades, and understand the wax resist. Is it the same as 'mechanical' ? a term I have seen used in references describing various types of steel in blades.
Also it seems 'watered steel' is sort of a catch all? and often the term 'Damascus' seems used a lot.

Thanks for the information guys.

ariel · 2nd November 2018, 02:39 AM

Wax resist is a technique “painting” a Damascus pattern on plain steel.

The blade is covered with a layer of wax and then a comb-like instrument removes lines of the wax coverage creating a “damascus-like” pattern. After that the blade is subjected to acid and only wax-free lines are affected.
When the acid is neutralized, the wax is removed.

Thus, it is not wootz and not pattern welded. It is an imitation, no more.

1st November 2018, 11:06 PM	#2
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,280	When I hear fake wootz I think of the method of etching the blade with a wax resist so that you get a pattern that is etched into the blade that looks like wootz.

2nd November 2018, 12:03 AM	#3
mariusgmioc Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Austria Posts: 1,911	The blade is almost certainly Indian, and and of fairly recent production (last 50 years). However, is neither wootz, nor "fake" wootz, but plain pattern welded. We can talk about "fake wootz" when a pattern resembling wootz is etched or engraved on a plain blade to make it resemble wootz. .... my two cents... PS: Many Omani khanjars were fitted with Indian blades, and almost all the khanjars made in the last 20 years have them.

2nd November 2018, 09:31 AM	#5
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Jim, Please see ##6,7 and 11. The blade of this khanjar is made of a real pattern-welded steel ( also called “mechanical Damascus”). Wootz is a crucible steel. Wax resist is a technique aimed at imitating the above patterns, with the beauty being only skin deep:-)

2nd November 2018, 02:39 AM	#7
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Wax resist is a technique “painting” a Damascus pattern on plain steel. The blade is covered with a layer of wax and then a comb-like instrument removes lines of the wax coverage creating a “damascus-like” pattern. After that the blade is subjected to acid and only wax-free lines are affected. When the acid is neutralized, the wax is removed. Thus, it is not wootz and not pattern welded. It is an imitation, no more.