Back فولاذ دمشقي Arabic Acer de Damasc Catalan Damascénská ocel Czech Damascering Danish Damaszener Stahl German Damaska ŝtalo Esperanto Acero de Damasco Spanish Damaskuse teras Estonian Damaskoko altzairu Basque فولاد دمشق Persian
Damascus steel (Arabic: فولاذ دمشقي) refers to the high-carbon crucible steel of the blades of historical swords forged using the wootz process in the Near East, characterized by distinctive patterns of banding and mottling reminiscent of flowing water, sometimes in a "ladder" or "rose" pattern. "Damascus steel" developed a reputation for being tough, resistant to shattering, and capable of being honed to a sharp, resilient edge.[1]
The term "Damascus steel" traces its roots to the medieval city of Damascus, Syria, perhaps as an early example of branding. However, there is now a general agreement that many of the swords, or at least the steel ingots from which they were forged, were imported from elsewhere. Originally, they came from either Southern India, where the steel-making techniques used were first developed,[2][3] or from Khorasan, Iran.[4]
- ^ Figiel, Leo S. (1991). On Damascus Steel. Atlantis Arts Press. pp. 10–11. ISBN 978-0-9628711-0-8.
- ^ "The Mystery of the Damascus Sword and India's Materials Heritage - Forbes India Blogs".
- ^ The Sword and the Crucible: A History of the Metallurgy of European Swords Up to the 16th Century, Alan R. Williams (2012). The Sword and the Crucible. Brill. p. 30. ISBN 9789004227835.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Bronson, Bennet (1986). "The making and selling of wootz, a crucible steel of India". Archeomaterials. 1: 1. S2CID 111606783.