Drew, where was this information for most of my life when noted gunwriters were putting out so much misinformation about Damascus barrels? Again, I can't help thinking about all of the gorgeous guns I passed up at ridiculously low prices because they had those ticking time bombs of "sometimes rusty wires braided around a mandrel and hammer welded with these rusty areas ready to rupture with the next shot." I should have known better because I could never fathom what braiding process could produce those interesting and varied patterns.
Several things jumped out at me from this article, but the line which said "you can easily imagine the skill these workmen possess" really says it all, and it seems impossible that Damascus was only a few times more expensive to produce than fluid steel. I found it very interesting that the packet of iron and steel was rolled in the mill at minimal welding temperatures to preserve a greater contrast in the finished product. It was also interesting, but not surprising, that iron from different sources had different properties and that iron made with charcoal as opposed to coke had greater purity and a lighter color. Early steel and iron making was much like watching your grandmother cook without a measuring cup or a cookbook, and some cooks were much better than others and used better ingredients. This might be a simple answer to Raimey's question about different ores and other raw materials, and why different makers had different reputations for how good their product was for various end users. It sounds as if the barrel makers spent a lot of time just testing different irons and steels by trial and error to learn what worked and looked the best.
It also sounds like the welding of the ribbands around the mandrel occurred at a much higher temperature and this might explain why there is less contrast in those welds than in the actual pattern when finished and browned or blued. I'm guessing that this would be from the greater and quicker formation of scale at the higher temperatures, and I want to emphasize the difference between scale and slag. They are two very different things. That's why I was questioning Steve in the other Damascus thread about the impact of scale on the strength of the welds, and the use of flux or mechanics to reduce it.
We're really indebted to you and PeteM and Steve for sharing what you guys have learned and possibly saved from becoming another lost technology. I never get tired of reading this stuff!
