The Shasta courier., 1863-01-03
NUMBER A
Damascus Blades.

Among the arts which have now become
lost must be classed the manufacture Of the
celebrated Damascus sword blades In old
en- times they were of the highest repute in
Europe and the East their elasticity was so
great tlat they could be bent into a circular
form without breaking, at once sprincing
back to their original shape when released.
whilst their edge was keen as a razor. so that
common iron and even steel would divide un-
der the force OF blow, without the blade be-
ing injured. The mode of manufacture was
kept profound secret by the armourers of
Damascus, although, from the peculiar wayy
surface ofrcgular bright and dark lines which
they presented, there is little doubt that they
were constructed of alternate LAYERS of iron
and steel welded together by method the
exact description of which is now lost Re.
Gently, sword blades closely resembling the
old Damascus scimetars have been made at
Sollngen. In Germany. The markings on
their surface nearly resemble the minute and
graceful shadings of fine watered silk, and
are due to the method of fabricating the
blade, and also to the combined metals of
which it is composed. These blades are said
to quite equal the old Damascus ones in tenn
per and elasticity. They are made in the fol-
lowing manner A faggot is first formed of
alternate bars or wires of iron and steel. Such
a bundle is then drawn out. doubled and
twisted several times and formed into rib
bon. A thin blade of the best cutting Eng
lish Neel is then taken, and between two Of
these forged ribbons of iron and steel, the
three are welded together, and formed into
sword blade. The interior thin English blade
gives the sword desirable and perfect cut
ting edge, whilst the combined twisted iron
and steel, of which the outside LAYERS are COM
posed, lmpart to it peculiar toughness, as
well as the beautiful wavy surface for which
it is also much priced. When ground and
polished no wavy lines are recognized, but
by dipping the blade for short period into
dilute sulphuric acid portion of the iron on
the surface is dissolved. whilst the fine steel
bars become black. and appear in dark lines
contradistinguished from the white wavy
lines of the iron bars.
After the blades are forged in this manner.
a great deal of their excellence depends upon
the mode of tempering them. Much of the
superiority of the old Damascus blades is sup
posed to have depended upon this. One mode
in which this is reported to have been effect
ed consisted in heating the. hardened blade
to blue color. and handing it to a rider seat
ed on horseback, who instantly started off at
a galiop, waving the blade against the cold
north wind, which required to be blow
ihS dii tue tLle UT tue operation cOuiu not he
performed. This we look upon as more poeti.
cal than scientific, for it would be scarcely
possible TO temrer thin piece of steel in
this manner during the coolest days Of win
ter, however keenly the north wind night be
blowing 1t is stated that the Russian Gen
eral Anossof rediscovered the process eff pro-
ducing Damascus steel, bv melting / ID. eff
charcoal iron in crucible with 1-12th of
graphite. 32d of iron scales. and about "a
of fusible fux such as dolomite. These sub.
stances were submitted to intense heat in a
blast furnace for about five hours, when the
scoria was skinned off and the molten incot of
steel thus formed was drawn under the ham.
mer, and submitted to several rebeatings and
hammerings. OF steel thus made it is asser
ted that Gen. Anossoff made several blades
like those of Damascus, having the same dark
and light wavy lines which were produced
after the blade was formed by pouring dilute
sulpheric acid over it.-London Recie,c.