Damask steel – the history of the legend

About the history of mankind knows many things, but also a lot of it and white spots. For example, historians have studied how ancient people made stone axes, and then began to use bronze. Then people learned how to smelt iron and mastered the technology of manufacture of steel. But there is a page in the history of metallurgy, as wootz. Technology of production of this unique grade of steel was lost at the time, it is not fully studied until now.

And the Europeans for the first time “acquainted” with Bulat managed during the battle, the army of Alexander of Macedon with troops of the Indian Tsar it is Time. And the Macedonians struck the armor of the king, captured. They were made of very sturdy white metal. And the swords of the soldiers of Macedon could not to penetrate the armor, they couldn't even scratch them. From the same steel were made and the broad swords of the Indian soldiers. And they of the Macedonian iron cut as easily as butter. And as the historians say, iron weapons of the Europeans in those days did not have high quality. It was very soft and bent after a few strokes. And wootz, which was made of Indian swords, seemed a miracle to the Macedonians. And they were forced to retreat under pressure from the Indian warriors.

But long before this battle with the Himalayan mountains in the Principality of Punjab came a caste of blacksmiths. They knew the iron case and were able to make it into a weapon possessing extraordinary properties. Then from Punjab Damascus steel and the secrets of its production spread to Japan, and Siam. And the properties of the Indian blades are made from Damascus steel, was actually amazing. They were strong and solid, and at the same time these swords possessed unusual strength and elasticity. Such a blade could cut through an iron nail, at the same time it is easily bent in an arc. These swords were made of different colors, e.g., blue or green. And they were visible patterns that resembled the pattern of the fabric.

Also surprising was the ability of Indian cutting blade. His blade after sharpening has taken on a sharpness that could cut in the air a handkerchief out of gas. And such sharpness that the blade is retained for a long time. Also Damascus steel in form of ingots imported into Syria. And there, in Damascus, she's blacksmiths forged fairy swords. But “imported” the Bulat was very expensive, so the master has invented a welded Bulat. They correctly identified that Bulat – it is a composite consisting of particles of a solid high carbon and mild steel, which contains little carbon. And this welded Damascus steel of the Syrian Smiths produced swords of high enough quality. But Damascus steel is still inferior to cast Indian Bulat in such qualities as strength and elasticity.

And so it went until the 12th century. In India and Syria produce high-quality weapons until then, until Timur. He won, and then destroyed and burned Damascus. And armourers from this city brought under Timur, Samarkand and Bukhara. Thus, the manufacture of Damascus steel moved to Central Asia. And after the death of this conqueror went into decline and production of weapons of damask steel in Central Asia. In India, perhaps, remained masters who know the secret of cast steel. But after India won the Europeans, who brought modern methods of steel production, an ancient art simply ceased to exist.

And in the 18-19 centuries in the West were trying to figure out what is wootz, what is the technology of its production. In particular, to solve this problem tried Michael Faraday, but he failed. Then other production metallurgists from Western Europe tried to patterned steel. Millon, Berthier, Faure, Fabre and others received steel with patterns by alloying of iron with chromium, platinum and silver.

But most of the progress achieved by the Russian engineer, major General p. P. Anosov. He was chief of the Zlatoust arms factory. And according to his instructions, did the exact chemical analysis of steel. He summed up the experience of all his predecessors and spent decades on the research, alone got all top grade Damascus steel. Anosov managed to recreate the legendary properties of Damascus steel and to develop a commercial technology of its receipt.