Crucible Steel ?

RSWORD · 28th March 2005, 12:24 AM

I am far from an expert on blade metallurgy but thought I would give my .02. I don't believe it is an artificially created damascus pattern, ie, wax resist and created via acid. The pattern is too random for that in my opinion. I also do not believe the blade is wootz. However, wootz can be melted away either during the forging of the blade or while differentially heat treating a blade. If the temperature is not controlled throughout the forging process, you can have "dead spots". What I am seeing on the blade almost looks like "hada" that you see on a Japanese sword. Perhaps this is a folded blade with a heat treated edge and what you are seeing on the blade is the grain of the steel from the folding and then the heat treatment has created sort of a "hamon" along the edge.

28th March 2005, 12:24 AM	#12
RSWORD Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 1,087	I am far from an expert on blade metallurgy but thought I would give my .02. I don't believe it is an artificially created damascus pattern, ie, wax resist and created via acid. The pattern is too random for that in my opinion. I also do not believe the blade is wootz. However, wootz can be melted away either during the forging of the blade or while differentially heat treating a blade. If the temperature is not controlled throughout the forging process, you can have "dead spots". What I am seeing on the blade almost looks like "hada" that you see on a Japanese sword. Perhaps this is a folded blade with a heat treated edge and what you are seeing on the blade is the grain of the steel from the folding and then the heat treatment has created sort of a "hamon" along the edge.