Are cold shuts repairable and does anyone have examples?

milandro · 1st September 2024, 10:18 AM

I was discussing this with some people I know and I have researched this topic on the forum finding some very general information but not much in the manner of whether it is possible to deal with them.

I don't know much about forging but what I have seen on TV is that when attempting to make a blade with a damascus pattern, therefore putting together different types of steel, it is not uncommon to produce a cold shut if and when different metals react differently with temperatures that are too low and therefore they don't weld well together leaving a " crack" or rather an area where two parts aren't forged together.

Sometimes these cracks are deep and are through and through as in some combong krises.

Sometimes the crack is undeep and therefore it can be ground until one reaches solid metal .

But someone here talked about the possibility for the empu to either reforge the blade and trying to close the " crack" or to add metal ( this last procedure was frowned upon if I recall correctly).

Any experience? Any pictures of before and after that anyone is willing to share?

Thanks.

there is a thread

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ight=cold+shut

here there are some considerations about ANAK SUNGAI

I have seen krises called Anak Sungai offered for sale and some are clearly the product of a forging cold shut , the fact that the empu sells the blade anyway is supposed to show that he couldn't efficaciously deal with this and claims a special talismanic property to sell the blade anyway?

A. G. Maisey · 1st September 2024, 01:24 PM

The first piece of damascus I made was so full of flaws & I was so determined to have a perfect damascus blade that my intended 12 inch Bowie finished up as a paper knife.

I am of the opinion that the most common cause of the flaw that we call a "cold shut" is either too much flux or an inadequately prepared surface.

I know of no way to repair these flaws in the forge, but sometimes limited success can be achieved with a gas or electric weld. But after using modern welding on the flaw, it is still quite obvious, maybe more so.

1st September 2024, 10:18 AM	#1
milandro Member Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Netherlands Posts: 462	Are cold shuts repairable and does anyone have examples? I was discussing this with some people I know and I have researched this topic on the forum finding some very general information but not much in the manner of whether it is possible to deal with them. I don't know much about forging but what I have seen on TV is that when attempting to make a blade with a damascus pattern, therefore putting together different types of steel, it is not uncommon to produce a cold shut if and when different metals react differently with temperatures that are too low and therefore they don't weld well together leaving a " crack" or rather an area where two parts aren't forged together. Sometimes these cracks are deep and are through and through as in some combong krises. Sometimes the crack is undeep and therefore it can be ground until one reaches solid metal . But someone here talked about the possibility for the empu to either reforge the blade and trying to close the " crack" or to add metal ( this last procedure was frowned upon if I recall correctly). Any experience? Any pictures of before and after that anyone is willing to share? Thanks. there is a thread http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ight=cold+shut here there are some considerations about ANAK SUNGAI I have seen krises called Anak Sungai offered for sale and some are clearly the product of a forging cold shut , the fact that the empu sells the blade anyway is supposed to show that he couldn't efficaciously deal with this and claims a special talismanic property to sell the blade anyway? Last edited by milandro; 1st September 2024 at 10:32 AM.

1st September 2024, 01:24 PM	#2
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,858	The first piece of damascus I made was so full of flaws & I was so determined to have a perfect damascus blade that my intended 12 inch Bowie finished up as a paper knife. I am of the opinion that the most common cause of the flaw that we call a "cold shut" is either too much flux or an inadequately prepared surface. I know of no way to repair these flaws in the forge, but sometimes limited success can be achieved with a gas or electric weld. But after using modern welding on the flaw, it is still quite obvious, maybe more so.