Originally Posted By: revdocdrew
William Wellington Greener The Gun and Its Development 8th edition 1907
p. 211 'Gun-making In Bygone Days'
"It is possible, but hardly probable, that in the lost treatise of Cataneo, "Arte de fare le Anne c i Fnd" the methods of manufacture current at Brescia in 1577 were explained in detail but we do know, from Cotty and others who mentioned the treatise when in the Paris Library, that it described some processes of manufacture. The works of Fucar (1535), N. Spadoni, V. Bonfadini, and other writers of the seventeenth century, supplemented by the information obtainable from an inspection of arms made in Spain..."

Remember that the Moors (a generic description of Muslim N. African Berbers and Arabs) controlled most of Spain (including the Basque gunmaking centers) from 711 until 1212, and were not defeated in Grenada until 1492. Extremely easy to see their influence on Iberian art and architecture (you paying attention jOe? ) Very likely that the primary 'road' for damascus to Western Europe was not from the east, but from N. Africa to Spain to France to Liege to Birmingham. Interesting that the Spainards named the kris swinging Muslims they found in Mindanao in 1512 Moros or 'Moors'. Wonder how those folks got Islam and damascus sword blades?!?

I'm still waiting for the Arizona State library to get me a 1958 article regarding Napoleon's role in all this


First, can you attach names or types to the pics posted for Homeless?

Back to Bell - "Manufacture of Iron and Steel"-1884 - Bell describes where the coal, coke & ore veins are located in each country. This post is mostly for France & Belgium. Bell describes furnaces 55 1/4 feet high at the Department of the Meurthe between Pont a Mousson and in the Nancy district. Coke was brought in from the Ruhr - Saarbruck(62 miles), Anzin(277 miles) and Ruhrort(215 miles). At St. Dizier, "an old seat of the French iron trade" a constructed canal allowed the transport of Prussian coke. There were works at Fourchambault and St. Etienne which used ore from La Voulte on the Rhone and Barcelona(Spanish connection?) and were "dependent on that sic(ore) from Mokta in Africa" as well as Elba(Napoleon - able was I ere I saw Elba).

In Belguim in 1882 only 1/6 of the ore used was native at the Liege furnaces. By 1878 the furnaces were totally dependent on ore from Luxemburt for pig iron. Also in 1878, Spanish(mines of Bilbao) and African ores were imported to process for Bessemer iron. So there had to be a long standing relationship between the mines within Spain & some of the African countries. This connection could have been established early on by a transfer in technology, i.e. the "Damascus Road"??

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Last edited by ellenbr; 12/28/07 08:18 PM.