looking for pics of high layer (500+) random damascus

[Travis Fry]

So this is I bit of a "random" post. I'll likely spend some days this weekend making my first damascus billets with some folks who actually know what they're doing in that realm. I have a thing for Middle Eastern style blades and would like to make a few that are historically accurate, mostly. I say mostly because I'm not going to be buying wootz or smelting my own (I've done this with a remelting furnace, pretty fun but not what I'm currently into). I think a high layer count random billet would fit the bill and look enough like wootz to satisfy, but I'm not sure how many layers would give me the look I want. I'm not at all new to knife making, but am very new to pattern welding. Can anyone post pics of such billets to give me an idea what to shoot for? 500, 1000, 2000 layers and beyond--I'd like to see them all.

 

[Leethal Cutlery]

Randy at HHH knives made a million layer suji a while back. I'd ask him to make you what you want. He makes beautiful steel and sells billets.

 

[A C Richards]

Here's one I did to 1050, low contrast more for hamon development than anything.

Problem with High layer counts is you begin to lose definition and can reduce the carbon to a non usable level. I have made a canned damascus using powder and shot peen pellets. It gave an interesting look very much like wootz. I just don't have a picture on a computer at the moment. Will have to see if I can dig one up.

 

[jdm61]

Don Hanson has done some with the high/low carbon mix and no nickel content and he took the layer count WAY up. YOU might want to see if he still has some pictures of those blades.