Damascus readings

[mete]

Though not directed toward blades the following provides interesting reading about damascus. www.damascusknowledge.com-a.googlepages.com/home

 

[David Wesner]

Thanks mete. Good reading and some very beautiful shotguns :thumbup:

 

[Greg Obach]

wow.... thats is a heck of a site......... thanks for posting

Greg

 

[Kevin Davey]

Fantastic and very humbling.

.....we all stand on the shoulders of those who went before us.

 

[rmd]

Oh. My. Word. The only damascus shotguns I've seen were the simple twist pattern and I thought that's what they all were. I never should have followed that link. I think my retirement account may be at risk.

rmd

 

[mete]

Obviously quality varied. There were good , bad and even fake damascus barrels .The fake ones just had the pattern etched on. Some of the barrels also had the companies logo in the pattern. If you have an old damascus barrel gun ,before you fire it have it inspected by someone knowledgeable and never use anything but light loads. The method shown with three bars twisted , then welded together was also used by vikings 1000 years ago for blades. Here's photos of a reproduction and original viking swords I posted previously www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=512900

 

[Larrin]

Great site for sure.

 

[the possum]

Obviously quality varied. There were good , bad and even fake damascus barrels .The fake ones just had the pattern etched on. Some of the barrels also had the companies logo in the pattern. If you have an old damascus barrel gun ,before you fire it have it inspected by someone knowledgeable and never use anything but light loads. The method shown with three bars twisted , then welded together was also used by vikings 1000 years ago for blades. Here's photos of a reproduction and original viking swords I posted previously www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=512900

I use only black powder in mine, since that is what it was designed and made for. I have heard stories of guys who shot light smokeless loads through their damascus guns for years without any problems, until the day it blew up, that is. Some were proofed for smokeless too, and many should be safe to shoot with black powder, but as you said have it checked out by someone qualified to make that assessment.

A while back at a gunshow there was a guy with a whole table full of really high grade antique shotguns, which I fondled for at least half an hour. One had the chain pattern barrels- I think it was a 14 ga pinfire or somesuch, as I recall. A couple had really tight & fine patterns. I'd love to own a drilling like that...