04-04-2013, 12:05 AM
Damascus is just a name for a pattern welded iron/steel combination. Sorry I used it in a generic manner, I was hoping to do otherwise, namely implying what we now all call Damascus was around way before anyone ever called it that. I have no knowledge of when this type was first produced in Damascus, I was just trying to point out pattern welding and other types of forgewelding are different things. Pattern welding is no more (or less) then a type of forge welding. Unfortunaltly, pattern welding has become known under the name "Damast" or in German "Damaszierung" and is met with near hero-worship in blademaking, but other types of forgewelded blades could in use well be supperior. It is a decorative technique.
I suppose the best way to explain is by posting a table from Christian Miks,Studien zur römischen Schwertbewaffnung in der Kaiserzeit, volume 1, page 53:
[attachment=6905]TableMiks.jpg[/attachment]
As you can see, there are many ways of forge welding a Roman blade !! Many would have been just mono-iron or mono-steel.
I suppose the best way to explain is by posting a table from Christian Miks,Studien zur römischen Schwertbewaffnung in der Kaiserzeit, volume 1, page 53:
[attachment=6905]TableMiks.jpg[/attachment]
As you can see, there are many ways of forge welding a Roman blade !! Many would have been just mono-iron or mono-steel.
