GREAT article on the REAL Damascus Steel

Thanks! I had the original document years ago, but it'll be nice to have a computer copy to back me up when I go on a rant about "damascus". :D
 
Thanks for the link and info. That is one that got saved for future re-reading.


Steve
 
Wow.. thanks for that.

I finally understand the difference between the true Damascus steel and pattern welding now.

I had never really grasped that the true Damascus was never folded, just forged to shape.
 
Yep, reading that article in 2001 was almost enough to turn me into a knife maker. But in the end all I did was start buying knives. :p
 
WOW. I still have that magazine issue around the house somewhere...I don't subscribe anymore, but I remember that article specifically. Thanks!
 
I does not looks like Wootz or Bulat does overperform modern steels. It is much more beautiful then modern "damascus" but performs same as premium steel if you are lucky. However so far nobody really able to claim that secret of wootz is resolved (or prooves that wonderful properties of wootz is just a mith).

Modern damascus is far from what was made hundreds years ago - obvioucely there were no differents steels to forge them in package. However they practice folding and forge welding same steel and pattern came because surface of sheets gain carbon in forge which change its properties.

Now in Russia Ivan Kirpichev making bulat available (if you are in Russia):
knife-83-015.jpg


knife-74-03.jpg


(I made it from his blade)

Blade are just gorgeous but does not perform better then ATS-34 or A2 (HTed by Boss) or Shirogamy. This is not bad at all for home made cooced steel, but all this hipe really rize expectation too high and this relly good results looks does not so good because eerybody expect miracle.

Here some reading (last part of article in English - just scroll down):

http://playground.sun.com/~vasya/Bulat-Achim.html

http://playground.sun.com/~vasya/Obach-01.html

For some reason bladesmithes in US does not really make bulat (or wootz).

Intrestingly, Anosov handred years ago found that just regular steel by repetitive heat treatment (bulat variant he called it) can achive performance increase just because of carbon migration as I understand - what Achim describes in his articl, I remember he promice to try HT 52100 this way, but do not know did he or not. Idea is that there is no need to make your own steel just HT something like D2 20-50 times (regular D2 has pattern siilar to bulat visible on high polished blade).

Thanks, Vassili.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top