Some interesting infro on Wootz steel, the first by a damascus expert at Iowa State:
http://www.tms.org/pubs/journals/JOM/9809/Verhoeven-9809.html
Looks like it's vanadium and molybdenum that cause the damascene appearance of Wootz
http://met.iisc.ernet.in/~rangu/text.pdf
http://www.brisa.fi/wootz3.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascus_steel

I couldn't find anything about Wootz being used for gun barrels or 'pattern welded' (what we call damascus) steel.

Last edited by revdocdrew; 05/25/07 01:07 PM.