The term “Damascus Steel” refers to two varying types of ferrous (iron-containing) materials branded by the soggy pattern. The pattern is developed from the precise mixture and physical handling of the iron and steel. Western Europeans introduced the material around the 3rd-4th centuries from the historic trading center of Damascus while its technical and physical origins are from the Middle East and India. We have explained the Cast Damascus Steel in
Everything You Need to Know About Cast Steel Damascus. Here we will do a step by step analysis of the second prominent type of
Damascus Steel.
Steel Preparation
The very first step is to choose steel which is going to be welded. It is preferred to stay in the moderate to high carbon ranges. Some metals, particularly in the wide range of tool steels are extremely hard to forge-weld by hand and is time-consuming consequently creating stress while being tempered. Though they make for great edges. The tough and resilient blades effectively hold an edge without breaking.
Cleanliness
Each band of steel should be clean of oil, rust, or any contamination that would later come up as a slag inclusion. Typically, it is started off with 7-10 thick layers, hot cut and fold them. You can begin with 20-40 very thin layers, weld them, clean and stack them again.
Fluxing
You might have noticed every modern welding electrode is covered in an even layer of flux. In modern welding, when the electrode strikes the grounded metal surface, an electric arch produces an immediate molten steel puddle. It fuses the filler rod into a trough developed by the power of the electric current. The bead runs along the steel whereas the filler metal alloy merges with the steel being welded. The flux keeps the weld clean and facilitates permanent weld of one metal to another.
Pattern welding
Pattern welding is a power-driven process that rests up strips of material which are then crushed together or folded as in Japanese practice. When the blade is scraped in acid, the layering below the surface is exposed. Pattern Welded Damascus is constructed from multiple types of steel and iron slices which are welded together to form a billet. These patterns primarily depend on what the smith does to the billet. The billet is drained out and enfolded till the required number of layers are formed. The exteriors of the individual metals are at the adjoining molten state whereas the core of the metal is still solid. By driving the surfaces together at this temperature with the presence of fluidity to closure the joint off from oxygen, results in a welded bond which is forcing the two metals into one. Extending out the length of the compound material and forge welding it back onto itself produces several layers that can be handled to produce the same watered pattern.
Mokume
Another material parallel to this type is mokume-gane. Mokume is composed of softer metals such as gold and silver. It is manufactured with a similar technique as pattern weld Damascus and used for jewels and knife reinforces. The name means ‘wood eye’ which refers to the form of the metals that appears like wood grain. It was originally prepared by the Japanese.
It is supposed that Damascus steel was finished in the same manner to what is called as pattern welding. It’s a popular sword making technique that is predominantly used in Europe and Japan. Pattern welding was very common in the primitive world.
Japanese katana,
Viking swords, and other Indonesian kris swords were all constructed using pattern welding techniques.
