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29th October 2006, 02:32 PM
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#1 | |
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Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 189
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Quote:
 Not the only way to have a good idea of wootz's value, though - you could try to convince one of the few smiths making wootz today to do 2 identical blades, one in wootz and one in steel made from bloomery metal, and do empirical tests. (edit - even better, have him make charpy bars and really get quantifiable  )One way would require a lot of swords to even out the effects of different edge geometry, heat treatments, etc., the other is suspect 'cause it's just one datum, but either would get you closer to the answer. 
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29th October 2006, 07:53 PM
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#2 | |
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Member
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Magenta, Northern Italy
Posts: 123
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Quote:
Strange that no such a smith posts here... |
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29th October 2006, 08:24 PM
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#3 | |
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Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 5,503
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Quote:
BTW, in one of your earlier posts there was a picture of a helmet cutting test. Was the helmet real? Having seen that pic as well as the horror of "Sword testing", I seem to begin changing my opinion about Japanese reverence for their cultural objects  As for yor drinking taste, I am disappointed... I am giving you a way out: try Peruvian Pisco: it's their version of Grappa, but the grapes are different. One glass and you look like that... |
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29th October 2006, 08:28 PM
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#4 | |
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Member
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Magenta, Northern Italy
Posts: 123
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Quote:
 if it makes such a magic i've to try it. Still waiting your explanation about how the heck wootz steel can delaminate... |
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29th October 2006, 10:15 PM
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#5 |
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 116
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Hi
yes wootz has some odd fissures at times...... they can arise from many reasons... from air bubbles (that why you try to keep the top of the ingot for the back of the blade )... -- maybe some slag inclusion ---- or working the ingot too hot.....-- may also have some uneven distribution of elements..aswell wootz does align in sheets.... but they are not like patternwelded blades....there is no weld boundaries.... so delamination is an awkward term for this.... and besides it shouldn't keep shearing appart.... as i like the question... was wootz combat worthy.... i did some tests today... got out my last piece of wrought iron... a piece of flat bar... 3/16 thick... and used one of my wootz blades to test..... i held the WI ontop of a large 190lbs piece of steel i have sitting in the forge..... i struck it many times.... with a very large wind up... .. and on one chop i actually cut the bar in half... -- keep in mind that i can hammer things quite hard as i do enough smithing as i have done far more stressful tests on my blades.....i wasn't worried about doing this to one of my knives.... http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...Picture004.jpg http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...Picture005.jpg http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...Picture008.jpg http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...Picture009.jpg http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...Picture011.jpg so far..... the blade did have some damaged..... as you can see some of the etch was removed... (which i can easily redue )..... there is only a little chip that can be felt when running your finger nail on the edge..... but very hard to see........ this happened when i chopped through the wrought iron bar and into the corner of the steel underneath...... but i can redress this edge without worry... the knife is 1/8 inch thick and inch and half wide...... actually i was shocked that there was a minute bit of damage.... it does tell me that i should maybe temper a little bit higher...... but thats it...... as i've done this test many times before with mild iron and 1/4 plate the blade is my wootz type crucible steel... as it does come very close to the Indian style watering now........ does this end the question...... i don't think so.... as this is a modern creation by me...... i can only stand by my word and hammer... but it does tell you that i'm not scared of any turkish cannon chain..
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30th October 2006, 05:34 AM
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#6 |
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Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 5,503
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Greg,
This is remarkable! The most honest test I've heard of so far! Can you repeat it with an equivalent of a European sword blade? From now on, you can proudly carry a title " Assadollah Wisconsini" And the Turks better beware: if you get any better, you will start slashing through cannon barrels
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30th October 2006, 01:42 PM
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#7 |
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 116
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thanks
i should mention abit about the blade..... the ingot was designed to be 1.5% carbon...... and it was quenched into oil to harden.... ... and tempered twice in an oven to toughen it.... -- also the air temperature yesterday was about 10 celsius - and i also did several small chops before the two large ones... you can see several v grooves at the top about 1/4 inch deep (sorry for bad photos ) - two large chops.... my accuracy went off on the first one.... and i chopped a piece off the end of the bar which flew into some corner of the shop...??? ... it slipped abit with the tongs i used to hold the Wrought iron... but second shot was on the mark -- i would not expect an air quenched wootz to do the same..... as its edge will have different characteristics...... ... so becareful if you decide to test a blade on a cannon chain and end up with an impacted edge.. yes.. a euro blade would be a good test aswell.... i'll see what i can come up with for a some what similar steel .... -- my guess is that it would also hold up quite well ! Greg |
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