Damascus and pattern-welded steels

Forging blades since the iron age

Steels are a class of materials with multiple and complicated transformations ; this is true even for steels

of the basic cutlery industry. A damascus steel is a fascinating subject to study, rich in multiple facets, that

appears in a first approach as a composite material artistically exploited.

Damacus steel was developed in the first millennium AD in India or Sri-Lanka. Its reputation is related

to its exceptional properties and to the moire pattern. A similar damask pattern could be obtained by

forge-welding giving rise to controversies. Recent findings allow a better understanding of this pattern

formation.

This book présents firstly, observations of ancient blade samples examined with modem technologies

such as electron microscopy. The features of many typical swords from different periods are discussed :

Celtic, Merovingian, Viking and oriental wootz swords, Persian shamshirs, Japanese katana, rapiers etc. In

the second part, microstructural observations at different levels of magnification are displayed and their

interpretation is discussed in detail, thus revealing the secret of sophisticated forgings. One chapter is

devoted to introducing the main transformations undergone by these steels during the forging processes.

The book is intended for all those people interested in the history of science and more specifically to the

metallurgists, to the archaeologists and all the researchers confronted with the problems of the expertise

of the vestiges, to the blacksmiths, and to the collectors of valuable artistic blades.