Wootz Khukuri Blade?

Apothecary

Apothecary

Joined
Oct 28, 2000
Messages
1,077
For the old khukuri collector: Wootz or real damascus has been reported to originate in India. Noting the proximity to Nepal, is anyone aware if khukuri blades of wootz were ever made and if such do exist, are there any pictures of these ancient khukuris available?

Thank you for your replies.

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Harry
 
If any authentic damascus khukuris do exist, you can be sure John Powell has a dozen or so of them.
 
You think the HI kamis could produce a damascus/wootz khukuri? That would be one heck of a special project. Picture the Gelbu Special or the Ganga Ram (featured in rdnzl's recent photo post) in damascus/wootz steel. I'd sign up for one. . .or maybe both.



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Danny
aka "kuma575"
 
kuma575, wootz actually costs around 0.75 $ for a gram, which is about 345 $ a pound. Plus it has at least 1,5 % carbon content, plus it has to be forged at low red heat, maximum 800° Celsius, thus forging time will be at least 5 times longer. Now calculate or better speculate how many $ a medium size khuk will be. Say 1 and 1/2 pound of steel plus the losses from forging and grinding. Plus the extra work. Ehhh. IF you can find someone who is able to sell you a block of wootz that big. Interesting idea!

biggrin.gif


Achim
 
All you have to do is ask, and JP most likely has at lest two or three.

BTW: John that is a hell of a knife. You have got to teach us in the ways of finding these great items that you always show us.


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Life is short, art endures.
 
There was a really interesting article about making synthetic wootz in the January 2001 Scientific American.

There's at least one outfit in India mass-producing pattern-welded steel blanks at (by western standards) very low prices. No idea what the quality's like.
 
In the USA, you could ask any ABANA chapter if someone has a power hammer. Then contact that person about forging steel flat stock for special projects. Pattern-welding is very common but the kamis would have a hard time of it under the circumstances. As to the question of authenticity, I don't see why it would be any different than Mercedes manufacturing the springs they use as flat stock now! Comments?

Stephen
PS: Uncle Bill I'd rather take a beating than have to move again. Best wishes!



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Micah 6:8. Well worth the attempt!
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by John Powell:
Here you go Harry. Probably from around 1880-1900.
</font>
Click to expand...

John, a khukuri like this is on my wish list. Thank you for making my day.

smile.gif


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Harry
 
Sorry, but the Khukuri displayed by John doesn't have a wootz blade. That's good old pattern welded steel, often called Damascus steel. Don't mix them up.

Wootz is a crucible melted crystalline steel with surface designs which is NOT PATTERN WELDED. If you heat it above cherry red heat the designs will be lost as the carbides will dissolve in the steel.

Pattern welded steel is made using two or more steels with different alloy content ( at least different carbon content). Pieces of these steels are stacked, forge welded, folded or manipulated in other ways and welded again to get different surface designs after grinding and etching.

I doubt that there are any real wootz khukuris in existance.

Achim
 
John,
Why DID YOU HAVE TO HAVE ONE!! If you found "one" there "HAS TO BE MORE"!Maybe an
Estate Sale( they wouldn't know what it was)
or maybe a Garage Sale or maybe......!
jim
 
Harry,
Glad to have put a smile on your face. Whatever this unique bladed kukri is classified (wootz, patterned, Damascus) it is a nice and unique piece. This is the first one I've owned and Jim, there are more out there. I have seen 2 others in private collections.

And if there are 3, there are 4, and if 4 why wouldn't there be an actual wootz blade somewhere?

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JP
 
Wootz. Pattern-welding, wootz, and tamahagane discussed by an ABS Master bladesmith.
A public service announcement from yr. humble ref. librarian, who would cheerfully accept a donation of any of the above which is cluttering up anyone's closet, wall, or under-bed hiding place
biggrin.gif
.
 
And all this time I thought that the Japanese
Katana steel was the real deal, with the folds required to make it strong enough and sharp enough? guess not maybe?
they make a very nice Damascus in Midwest, it
is made from forging Auto Engine Parts. very
nice, and strong.
biggrin.gif
Jerry



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Custom Toys For Big Boys!
Colt 45 Auto Customs
Each Person's Spirit comes from within Feed your's today.
GOOD WISHS FOR EVERYONE
 
:
I will always wonder if the legends told about the old "watered steel" are based on truth or on the fascination that men have had with any patterned steel over the centuries.
I once read a book or story about a armor maker and his young apprentice who, in making a mistake, discovered the wootz steel. Then the movie "The Black Rose" cinched my romantic notions and fascination with watered steel and the blades from far away places.

It would be really something if the kamis came up with even a pattern welded khukuri. And it's entirely possible that Bura and some of the other old timers like Ganga Ram may know about watered steel and how to make it.
Now that's a happy thought ain't it?
smile.gif

Makes one wonder what a Baby GRS would cost in watered steel of any kind? ainnit?
smile.gif

What about a YCS? Or any other khukuri that happens to trip your trigger?
I can dream......
smile.gif


And in reality aren't the khukuris made from folded steel anyway?
I see fold lines in some of the villagers I have.....

PS And Jerry et al... There was a pic of a knife made by Tai Goo I think it was made from cast iron soil pipe and pop bottle caps in the Shop Talk Forum not long ago.
It is absolutely beautiful and who would of thunk it except a Neo-Tribalist. My Gawd those guys do some F-I-N-E Work!!!!
smile.gif


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yvsa,(Going off wondering what a really deep etch might show on a couple of village khukuri's.
smile.gif
)


[This message has been edited by Yvsa (edited 01-09-2001).]
 
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