question on Maidenhair damascus

[Kentucky]

Ive never made maidenhair Damascus. It looks like alternating twists of random pattern and stacked Damascus that have been welded together. Can someone confirm this or correct me on it? thanks

 

[JTknives]

Actually maidens hair is at least 200 layers with a rather loose twist rate of no more then one full twist per inch. Forge the billet round befor twisting.

 

[Salem Straub]

JT's understanding of it is how I think of it, too. It almost sounds like you are describing merovingian twist or some similar layup?

 

[Kentucky]

Yea I know I have to be thinking is something else. I know it's not a loose twist, not what I'm thinking of anyway.

 

[jdm61]

I think I know what you are talking about. Is it a twist where it looks like the smith did a stack of alternate high and low count layers and then twisted?

 

[Kentucky]

I think I know what you are talking about. Is it a twist where it looks like the smith did a stack of alternate high and low count layers and then twisted?

Yes, that's it I think..:thumbup:

 

[Salem Straub]

Can you guys see the pic I posted? It's exactly that, high count/three thick layers/high count twisted up. Gives a cool pattern, that's merovingian twist. Rodrigo uses it, perhaps he even coined the name. It does come from period swords.

Here, I'll post from another host.

 

[Kentucky]

I can see the second pic Salem..We have been having a lot of problems with photobucket lately not showing pics..
That looks similar to a multi bar twist pattern from migration era swords. By the way that's my want to do, a migration era sword with a multi bar twist core.Something like a type D with a type 1 hilt.. That and a seax with a wolfs tooth over a small multibar twist