[TheForge] Damascus

[Aaron Silver]

At 07:52 PM 4/2/2002 -0600, you wrote:
>With all this discussion of what is or isn't Damascus steel, shouldn't we 
>consider what has been common English usage for the last 120 or so 
>years?  If not, then who among us wants to write to Sears and insist that 
>they reissue their 1908 catalogue because it mistakenly labels 
>pattern-welded shotgun barrells as "Damascus"?
>
>Phil

I believe even the earliest responses made the point that there WAS a 
difference between the common English usage of the last X number of years 
and the original definition of Damascus. The point being that depending on 
who you talk to (someone who is only familiar with the more recent 
definition, or someone who has more knowledge of the historically accurate 
definition) you'll get different answers. And because of that you probably 
should know why there are two different answers. Especially if you are 
going to be teaching someone else, or selling your wares to the public. 
That way you appear knowledgeable about your craft and product, rather than 
getting tripped up by some know-it-all who does know the difference and 
wants to make you look bad.

Now ultimately this boils down to the same type of conversation as Wrought 
Iron. There is a common usage which includes worked mild steel and the 
actual physical type of metal used way back when. For most of the buying 
public it doesn't matter whether what is sold to them as wrought iron is 
actual WI, or whether it is simply black painted mild steel worked into a 
railing. As teachers and craftsmen it IS important to draw the distinction, 
because mild steel and WI do have different physical properties and work 
differently under the hammer.

Aaron Silver