HOmelessJOe,
How do you know for a fact that the apprentices made the "cheap" damascus for low-mid-good quality guns and the masters only made the barrels for the "best" guns?
I somewhat agree in to what jOe is saying. In a shop that has apprentices, they work on the lower or easier jobs until qualified to go on, usually in stages. I'm also quite sure that barrels were all made in one part of the shop, where all the barrel makers were, and that apprentices worked with the craftsman in doing the barrels.
Also since most Damascus barrels were made overseas and since most were proofed there, even if the apprentices made the barrels by themselves they were still proofed. When they started making barrels in this country I'm not sure if Damascus was made here, but before proofs were stamped on the water tables of some manufactures, the were factory proofed for double loads.
The main point is are Damascus barrels safe? In my opinion they are only as safe as the person shooting them. Unfortunately, since most are 80-120 years old, we have not been the original owners and we do not know what went through them before us. Most try and use good judgement and shoot the type of shells they were made for, but who knows what previous owners did and now that we own them and put some of the "right type" of shells and they blow. Like stated before it could have been "their time to go", unfortunately.
Many of you here shoot Damascus regularly with the appropriate shells and no problems, I shoot mine infrequently and love to reload some 5500 psi hulls in them, for hunting.
It would be nice to know the real cause, and also to remember the everyone has an opinion and it is not to be ridiculed.
Just because you have some type of paper doesn't make you an expert.
