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Forums10
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Apr 27th, 2024
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Joined: Jul 2003
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 230 |
My 90-year-old mother was over to visit last night and after dinner I was showing her a set of barrels I recently had refinished by Dale Edmonds.
As she was examining the beautiful black and white pattern and I was explaining as best I knew how Dale did the process she asked, "Why do they call it 'damascus'. Was it invented in Damacus, Syria?"
I said, "Good question, Mom." "I don't know." "I never thought about the origin of the word before."
Please enlighten me as to why damascus steel is so named in order that I can satisfy my mothers curiosity.
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Joined: Jan 2002
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
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Yes. Starting with swords, most likely. Not a stupid question, at all.
> Jim Legg <
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
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Today there is a growing body of evidence that the origin was in India and perhaps Sri Lanka about 100BC, perhaps earlier. They produced a wootz steel. This process was refined over the centuries and in various regions. The common belief is that the crusaders (1100–1300) first coined the term "Damascus Steel". It was a common sword making technique through out the Arabic world at that time. They brought back legends of swords so sharp they could cut a piece of falling silk. The method of making a damascus blade is very different from that of making barrels. Firearms that used damascus barrels have been around since at least the 17th century. In the later half of the 19th century damascus barrels were seen as a better / stronger alternative to cold rolled tubes with a longitudinal weld. As steel production production improved, coke replaced charcoal, fluid steel became the preferred barrel material. Damascus barrel production required intensive amounts of hand labor in comparison to fluid steel barrels. This was despite the move to mechanization and production lines. Mothers are very smart. Never forget that  Pete
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Joined: Jan 2002
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
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Since we're on the subject-well sort of. I have observed the term 3 Bell Steel on barrels and in some gun advertisements, I believe it is/was a way of annealling steel to make it more malleable by the use of a hydrogen atmosphere in an oven consisting of 3 units - preheater furnace-desired atmosphere furnace- cooling furnace. This was then basically made into a barrel the same as damascus but without a pattern by forging & hammering a strip of this material around a mandrel. The question is, are my "assumptions" correct and if not please enlighten me? --- John Can.
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Joined: Aug 2005
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RevDocDrew, where are you? Hope you haven't left for the BSA/mountains yet. Hope you can reach into your vast rolodex/memory and answer this one. I too have seen the "3-bell" mark and wondered. Best, Dr. BILL
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Joined: Jan 2006
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2006
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Hey Dr Bill: Just managed to find a computer at Camp Geronimo. Had a nice rain Sun and has cooled down a bit. Fortunately, the Health Lodge has been pretty quiet. Anyway-will be back on-line Fri and will work on it. Say 'hi' to the LCers-I can't access the site for some reason 
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Joined: May 2007
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: May 2007
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The only silly question is the one you don't ask...
I think PeteM has nailed it; "Damascus" is something of a misnomer, but we continue to use it in deference to centuries of accepted usage and tradition. I understand real damascus has basically been a lost art for centuries. I believe "pattern welded" is a more accurate description for barrels.
RG
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Revdocdrew's site is here revdocdrew
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
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True Damascus (Wootz) has a pattern to it, but is solid steel, not a lamination of iron and steel as is used for barrels and some blades. The term damascus just stuck for any patterned steel.
BTW, the original Damascus art has been reinvented and can be done by modern craftsmen. However, it produces a just so-so blade when compared to modern alloys. Compared to the soft steel/iron blades of the Europeans, it no doubt did seem magic.
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
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Wootz was a great steel of its day but is only equivalent to mild steel today. The original blades were not folded Damascus as we know it today. Somewhere I have a knife mag wherein some makers tried to remake the 2000 yr old blades with varying degrees of success. They were able to sample some old broken blades to try to copy the type of steel structures seen. But they were NOT folded. The term Damascus is used widely and poorly.
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