-
Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.
We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.
Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103
Damascus Steel
- Thread starter shmrck1
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2003
- Messages
- 6,482
- Reaction score
- 1,411
What we call Damascus steel is two or more steels, one usually being of low carbon, folded over the other and hammer welded into a bar. This is folded many times producing a near homogenous bar of steel possesing great strength and a pleasing pattern in the steel after being washed in acid. The acid eats one steel faster than the other leaving this pattern. Real Damascus is called "WOOTZ" steel. It is a process of casting, and also has a pattern and great strenth. Neither is proper for 18th century America. It was in Europe however. American smiths of the time apparently had neither the skill nor desire to make it as it is very time consuming and costly to produce.
WICK,
I know about 75% than i knew 15minutes age and i know there
is more out there!!!!!!
Thanks Wick
I am snake-eyes
Thanks Wick,
I know about 75% more than i knew 15 minutes
ago and i'm looking for more. thanks WICK
I am snake-eyes
I know about 75% than i knew 15minutes age and i know there
is more out there!!!!!!
Thanks Wick
I am snake-eyes
Thanks Wick,
I know about 75% more than i knew 15 minutes
ago and i'm looking for more. thanks WICK
I am snake-eyes
Here is a link to Damascus steel
http://www.blacksmithrick.com/damascus.html
Besides using a soft/hard iron combination to make Damascus steel, wire is also used to produce a finer pattern on the end product.
Both forum members Anvil and Curt are blacksmiths, I'm sure they could give you the exact answers you seek.
Guest
Snake,
Wick gave a very concise and accurate description of Damascus. What else would you like to know? In days past, it was one way to make a billet with enough strength for weapons. "Damascus" has come to mean anything with a welded pattern but as Wick said, there was Wootz steel and there are also the Japanese blades, which have a pattern but are not called Damascus. Modern makers have very good control of patterns because they can organize the layers into the desired design, heat in a gas forge and press the mass together with a hydraulic press. A knifemaker named Daryl Meier has done a great deal of work in this area and presented a knife to one of the presidents (I think it was Bush senior), which had a row of waving US flags. Each flag had 50 stars and each star had 5 tips. This was not engraved but was actually in the welded pattern.
Steel differs from iron only by the addition of very small amounts of carbon. Steel with 1% carbon is considered very high in carbon and would be suitable for knives or razor blades. The percentage is expressed in the term "points" and refers to fractions of a percent, .e.g, 50 points would be .50 of one percent carbon. Low carbon is 10-30 points, medium or "spring" steel is 40-60 and high carbon is 70-120 points. Cast iron, which is unsuitable for weapons, is only around 3% carbon and demonstrates how very little carbon is needed to dramatically change the characteristics of iron based materials.
Plain carbon steels and stainless are homogenous materials made in a smelter or furnace. Stainless is basically carbon steel with trace elements added to make it corrosion resistant (primarily chromium but other things, too.) There are austenitic and martensitic stainless steels, but only the latter will harden and are the types used for blades, such as 440C, 420, 52100, etc.
Hope this answers your question. I'm sure others will add their opinions...Anvil
Wick gave a very concise and accurate description of Damascus. What else would you like to know? In days past, it was one way to make a billet with enough strength for weapons. "Damascus" has come to mean anything with a welded pattern but as Wick said, there was Wootz steel and there are also the Japanese blades, which have a pattern but are not called Damascus. Modern makers have very good control of patterns because they can organize the layers into the desired design, heat in a gas forge and press the mass together with a hydraulic press. A knifemaker named Daryl Meier has done a great deal of work in this area and presented a knife to one of the presidents (I think it was Bush senior), which had a row of waving US flags. Each flag had 50 stars and each star had 5 tips. This was not engraved but was actually in the welded pattern.
Steel differs from iron only by the addition of very small amounts of carbon. Steel with 1% carbon is considered very high in carbon and would be suitable for knives or razor blades. The percentage is expressed in the term "points" and refers to fractions of a percent, .e.g, 50 points would be .50 of one percent carbon. Low carbon is 10-30 points, medium or "spring" steel is 40-60 and high carbon is 70-120 points. Cast iron, which is unsuitable for weapons, is only around 3% carbon and demonstrates how very little carbon is needed to dramatically change the characteristics of iron based materials.
Plain carbon steels and stainless are homogenous materials made in a smelter or furnace. Stainless is basically carbon steel with trace elements added to make it corrosion resistant (primarily chromium but other things, too.) There are austenitic and martensitic stainless steels, but only the latter will harden and are the types used for blades, such as 440C, 420, 52100, etc.
Hope this answers your question. I'm sure others will add their opinions...Anvil
Guest
CJ,
That is exquisite work. Did you do it?
That is exquisite work. Did you do it?
Guest
Well, give him my compliments if you can - that is outstanding craftsmanship - I especially like the hawk.
