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Damascus Steel Swords

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 15:14:10 +0000

Damascus Steel Swords in History

February 23, 2012

Damascus Steel Swords, powerful weapons that men have created that are already lost in time. This powerful kind of steel is basically considered by legend to be one of the toughest and strongest types of steel that man has ever managed to manufacture in history, and the loss of the method to create such makes the lore of this sword all the more interesting.

Damascus Steel Swords: History’s Toughest Metal Legend

The discovery of this kind of steel sword came about during the medieval period, when the Crusades were started to spread the word of God. While there would be writing that credits the Western culture to actually pioneer the spread the use of Damascus steel swords, it was in the ventures of the Crusades that gave birth to the discovery of this kind of steel.

Damascene blades were discovered by knights of the Crusades who battled Muslims in the middle parts of Asia. This was based on facts, as the Wootz that was needed to create Damascus steel blades were abundant in such parts. Ingots of Wootz steel were needed to produce these blades, and they were only abundant in India and Sri Lanka, until which the material had already lost itself from overuse.

The Loss of the Technique and New Technology of Damascus Steel Swords

The loss of the technique in making Damascus steel swords has been quite prevalent in history, most of which is attributed to the disappearance of Wootz. While there may be certain companies today that will claim to be able to harness the creation of Damascus steel knives and the like, the creation of the genuine thing has already been lost in time.

One will find that it is impossible to craft a blade of the damascene-make simply because the technique was kept a secret by most of the people who knew about the art. Since then, all the blades that were purported to be of Damascus steel have been proven to not match to the real thing.

Legend has it that Damascus steel swords make for a really dramatic blade when it comes to their characteristics. Their strength is said to be powerful enough that it can cleave through huge boulders of rock, and just by staying put, a cloth of silk that is dropped upon its blade will be sliced clean without any slashing motion involved. The blade is also said to slice through thick shotgun barrels, making it quite formidable.

How to Identify these Damascus Steel Swords

There are sinuous, wavy lines that will be visible on the surface of genuine Damascus steel swords. These lines are basically considered to be existent simply because there are many layers of metal that have been molded together to make the steel sword tough and durable.

The knives and blades that are being sold today that claim to use the metal used for Damascus steel swords cannot be true though, but technology has managed to craft blades that can challenge those of Damascene make, so it means such things are close to getting on what Damascene steel had really been.

We hope this article will give you more idea about Damascus Steel Swords

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Damascus Steel Blades

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:14:06 +0000

Damascus Steel Blades

February 23, 2012

Damascus steel blades are fearsome weapons that are steeped in Islamic history. These blades have a dull blue color and are even quoted in The Talisman, the book of renowned Scottish playwright and novelist Sir Walter Scott.

The History of Damascus Steel Blades

Although the exact origins of Damascus steel blades are unknown, it is estimated that the blades have been around for as long as 2000 years. These blades gained recognition because of the European crusaders who brought back reports of the notoriety of the weapon during their attempted invasion of the Islamic region.
The crusaders witnessed Islamic warriors using well-forged Damascus steels swords that do not easily break when struck by the blades they have with them from Europe.

Aside from its ability to effortlessly cut opponents into half in a single blow, sharp Damascus steel blades can also slice the weapon of the invaders. Until now, the forging process behind these legendary swords remains a secret.

The main feature of this blade is the undulating patterns that are visible in the surface of the blade. According to historical accounts, the process of making Damascus steel blades is connected to welded blades that first appeared at about 500 B.C. in Persia. It is also mentioned in some records including the treatise of Abu Yusuf b. Ishaq al-Kindi which described that some native swords found in the region is made from an iron called Damascene. Several passages from Kitab al-Jamahir fi ma`rifat al-jawahir tells of the composition of the steel as well as the furnaces used for making Damascus crucible steel.

The peculiar bands in Damascus steel blades are referred to as “firnd” in Arabic literature. It is said that incomplete combination of narmahin or soft iron with “dus” or water from iron ore in the crucibles are the reason for those patterns. It is further stated that the components do not completely mix due to the variation of the two components melting point. Dus reaches its melting point and flows faster than narmahin even before the impurities that it contains are completely separated out. The impurities are said to be composed of small amounts of V, Mo, Nb, Mn, and Cr, elements capable of forming carbide. The art of forging Damascus steel was eventually lost even to the Islamic countries. It is estimated that it was around the 16th to 17th century when the last high-quality blades were produced.

After the crusaders discovered the existence of Damascus steel blades, there have been many attempts to recreate the legendary weapons. The most common products known to have utilized these high-quality steel blades are Damascus steel knives and Damascus steel swords. The blacksmiths from Europe tried to alternate, fold and twist steel and iron into layers through a process known as pattern welding. There are instances when copper filigree or even silver were used as an overlay to these swords in an effort to imitate the famous bands in the original Damascus blades. The high carbon content in the original blades became a problem for Europeans because if the level of carbon was not controlled, it could result to cast iron or wrought iron. Both are unsuitable for use in weapons.

Modern technology has identified the components of Damascus steel blades as high grade iron having 1.5% carbon content. It is theorized that the original sources of iron ores used for forging Damascus steel blades are not mines from Syria but from India and Sri Lanka. The right mix of minor elements, firing time and temperature as well as thermomechanical process are required to successfully forge Damascus steel blades.

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Damascus Steel Knives

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 11:30:11 +0000

Damascus Steel Knives

February 23, 2012

Damascus Steel Knives are one of the most powerful weapons during Crusade. History has come up with creations that were deemed to be of exceptional quality, and Damascus steel knives would be one of such. Dating back into the Medieval Ages, this kind of steel happened to become one of history’s most elusive secrets. Because the power of Damascus steel knives has been known to posses tough qualities that enabled it to work exceptionally compared to other blade types, such metal that has been used for these blades has reached an iconic status when it comes to metals in this world.

The History of Damascus Steel Knives

Damascus steel knives were discovered to have been used by the Muslims during the Middle Ages when the Crusades were invading much of Asia. Damascus Steel, in which these knives were made, were famous because of their exceptional quality as they can cleave straight through hard rock or slice through a falling piece of silk by just being in place. Because of such a power, the idea of weapons production that incorporated Damascene steel became prevalent in the West.

Such was the popularity of this steel that Damascus steel swords were made by these Westerners for combat and war, along with Damascus steel knives that can be used for hunting and for home use. The technique for the development of this steel became commonplace in such a time, but then gradually disappeared.

One of the reasons why the lore behind the creation of Damascene Steel has been lost is the fact that one of the main elements needed for its construction has run out. Wootz Steel, which has been imported from exotic countries such as India and Sri Lanka, have gradually disappeared, which made for the impossibility to craft such steel again for use in Damascus Steel Knives and the like.

Because the techniques that made for building these powerful blades had also been kept secret by most of the smithies and the weapons manufacturers of those times, such knowledge managed to disappear as well. There is no longer any Wootz that can be used for production of Damascene Steel, and the techniques are no longer available to allow the crafting of these blades.

Are the Damascus Steel Knives Being Sold Today Genuine?

Those who are involved in cooking as a hobby or a profession would know that there are still Damascus steel knives that are for sale. These knives, even if they claim to be of the Damascene make, are not the genuine item. Replication of such would seem impossible, although human technology has managed to craft steel that can come at par with the power that is the same of Damascus steel.

While such Damascus steel knives that are being sold today would have the same sinuous waves that are attributed to genuine Damascene Steel, these are just layers of metal that have been layered over each other to add for strength and durability. The technique for crafting such knives in this manner is extremely clever, but such steel will not be truly of the Damascene make but can be quite as strong and durable as such.

We hope this article will give you more idea about Damascus Steel Knives