upsetting damascus patterns

[pike3e]

wondering what type of patterns are made in damascus by upsetting? Any pics would be great.

 

[deker]

Upsetting as in taking a 1" square bar and forging back into itself until i's 1.25" square? None that I know of. Can you explain a little more of what you mean by "upsetting"? I think there may be a problem of definition.

-d

 

[pike3e]

Here is a quote from Mace in regards to Christoph Derringer:


"he(Christoph)does a lot of his damascus patterns by upseting instead of cutting or grinding"

I assume this to mean that after the desired layer count is reached, the billet is manipulated by upsetting to make a pattern instead of twisting, drilling, grinding ect. Deker, your definition of upsetting is exactly what I am thinking about. I am just wondering what kind of patterns or effects are produced through this process.

 

[Dan Seaver]

It sounds like he is talking about forging the pattern in. So rather than cutting lines and then forging flat for ladder pattern, you forge the lines in and grind it flat. This can be used for quite a few patterns and for some its easier than grinding the pattern in.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

some patterns are cut, rotated 90 degrees, stacked, welded, and upset. Thus a 1X2X6 mosaic blillet can be cut into 1X1X2 blocks, turned with the laminations up, welded, and then drawn out into bar with the pattern on the top.

 

[Dan Pierson]

From his talk at the Maine HI last July, Christoph makes his damascus largely by doing something to the billet then undoing it. Twist, then untwist. Twist, squish down from the ends, squish back up the other way, untwist, etc.

He says that he likes both the moire effects he gets this way because of all the imperfect reverse operations and the savings of material. He's big into wasting as little steel as possible; weighs his billets before and after to see how little he can loose, etc.

The one damascus blade he had at the show was a very pretty little piece (but not as impressive as the amazing hidden tang double edged fighter with blade, double guard, tang and pommel all forged out of one ball bearing with no cuts or welds!).

 

[pike3e]

I saw those blades at the hammer in and was amazed. I also watched the demo when he forged the ball bearing into an integral double guarded dagger. Based on that I figured whatever he was talking to Mace about must also be interesting.