Fantastic Metallurgy: Damascus steel

Or a monograph upon an ordinary metal made through extraordinary means
There is some scholarly debate about the origins of Damascus steel, and even upon the origins of the name.  There is some historical references to the material under different names, and the oldest reference to use the term calls it only 'steel from wondrous Damask', which I propose is the origin of the term.

There is, of course, no place by the name Damask, though half a dozen ancient and even modern cities may be variants on that simplistic name, and the linguistic transfer from 'of Damask' to 'Damascus' matches no language I am aware of.  The origins of the term, I am afraid must remain unknown.

Of the metal itself, however, I can wax quit loquacious.  To be perfectly clear the line between common iron and uncommon steel is quite... fuzzy.  Iron becomes steel through the forging process, though some master smelters can churn out high quality steel grade iron ready for the forge, making the skill of the smith inconsequential.  The transformation is well understood, if esoteric, to master alchemists to be the addition of aetheric fire to earth, typically through the medium of ash.

Thusly speaking Damascus steel is not, properly speaking, steel at all, but iron. If you wish to view steel as a variation upon Iron, then Damascus steel is a different variation all together.  To be properly made the smeltery and forge must work together in a way unlike common steels. Common Iron ore, or perhaps, as with dwarven steels, uncommon ores... for the rare master smelter's who produce the raw metal are quite finicky... is smelted with glass in a process quite similar to the aetheric infusion process perfected by Ser Ustoliam three centuries ago, though with radically different purposes in mind.  The processed bars of metal, not quite Damascus steel yet, and apparently useless for other smiths if rumor holds true, are ready to be worked.

I myself was able, with some difficulty, to procure a small bar of the pre-worked iron. I can understand the reluctance of conventional smiths to work the stuff, as it appears quite unusual, even dare I say it worthless.  It seems rife with impurities, almost as a lacy cheese, crusted and rough. Once cut its cross section shows it to have almost a layer cake structure with different levels having greater or lesser, impurities.  It did prove nearly impossible to work, as rumors held, producing eventually items of rough iron that would have taken less than half the time and been of higher quality had I simply started with conventional iron.

The smiths that specialize in the stuff however, produce blades of unsurpassed hardness, flexibility, sharpness and even, it must be said beauty.   They are highly resistant to spilling the secrets of their art, which above all other factors explains the rarity of the craft.  However, they are not immune to loose tongued apprentices nor the keen eyes of an expert metallurgist, who can work out differences from the slightest of clues.

My first clue to the technique is the unique patterning, similar to more conventional welded steels.  While I was reluctant to destroy such a masterful blade, I was forced to by the needs of progress.  In cross section there is no evidence of the marks of pattern welding, though there was some similarity to the cross structure of the raw metal, even down to the granules of impurity, though much reduced in size and volume.  Obviously the metal itself was the origin of the properties, and the smithing technique only drew them out.   Aetheric analysis, along more conventional alchemical studies suggested that the smith, much as the old steelmaking smiths, were responsible for much of the 'smelting' of the metal, picking up where the smelter's art had left off.  My studies suggested that it would be as accurate to call Damascus steel as much glass infused with metal as the reverse, and the alchemical analysis support this strongly.

As a metallurgist I am no expert on glass, though as an Alchemist I am at least familiar with the basics.  In alchemical terms glass has much in common with metal, both are made of elemental earth refined by elemental fire, though glass is said to be the product of all four elements working in concert... though the production does not support this unless one takes into account that common sand, while of the earth, has many properties in common with water... and can be said to be water of the earth, as in the Heisan Tradition.   I found my researches fruitful but ultimately unimportant to the final analysis, but for further guidance I can only suggest Uombry's Folio.

The process, too complex to break down here, of transforming an uneasy alliance of metal and glass into a finished product is quite instructive. I was only able to put together a few pieces of the actual process, but using my prior knowledge of both aetheric alchemy and metallurgy was able, eventually to duplicate the process.  The core of the process involves techniques, including extremes of heat and pressure, along with primitive aetheric supplications to the elemental materials to convince them to bond, complete with cruder physical efforts at reductions, removing the most stubborn portions of the glass and metal via various techniques during the actual forging.  This reduction produces the amazing patterns, the removal of both metal and glass in alternating layers until the product is complete. It is a somewhat wasteful process and many of the techniques developed by the smiths over the years appear to be aimed at reducing the loss without lowering the quality of the finished product.   For my efforts however, less than a third of the original metal remained in the final blade, though the quality was exceedingly high... I humbly suggest that the advanced knowledge of alchemical techniques over the more primitive rituals of the smiths only served to increase the quality.

Reluctantly, however, I can only suggest that the process is all but useless for anything other than blades or the very rare piece of armor. I have heard of some smelteries producing higher quality base iron using the glass technique that produced iron all but immune to weathering or common wear, even in significantly large amounts.... But the end result is not, properly Damascus in the least.   The metal is lighter than even high quality steels, hard and flexible, and resistant to extreme heat, acid or even lightning. Its lightness makes it inappropriate for weapons relying on mass, and the reductive nature of the forging process makes it prohibitively wasteful for most armors, along with the rumored frangibility in larger pieces.

The mystery of Damasucs Steel?

I have really enjoyed this series of posts.  Keep it up!

Thank you Zachary.

Counterspin: If you actually read the various metallurgy posts, this one included, and you compare them with liberal readings of real world metallurgical studies... for example and most obviously in the form of Damascus Steel you would probably have more... or less... to say than a simple link to an article I've already read... or you'd miss all the probably too clever references to real world techniques and studies on the subject that I gave a fantastic spin.

While I appreciate the article, I am well aware of the glaring flaw in it, in that every serious study of the origin and nature of real world Damascus steel concludes that it was not folded or pattern welded, though the grinding process reveals a superficialy similar wave design in the metal.

The Katana was made using folded and pattern welded techniques to offset the low quality of the iron ore available, and the quenching technique appears to be at least as important to the end blade as the folding, if not more...  I write not in a vacuum but with a passion for my subject.... tempered by a lighthearted humor and whimsy necessary for the enjoyment of the art... or some crazy shit.