[TheForge] Interesting Article

[James Binnion]

On Oct 8, 2008, at 2:06 PM, steve Bloom wrote:
>  I've always suspected that the reason we use the same term  
> (Damascus) is because European smiths in the Middle Ages didn't have  
> wootz but did know how to make patterned steel - and the clientele  
> was asking for 'Damascus' .


Way beyond the middle ages the finest steel for cutting edges was  
still "Damascus" steel even in the early 1800s Michael Faraday before  
he turned his mind to electromagnetism was involved in researching how  
to make a steel that was of similar quality to "Damascus" steel. At  
that time "Damascus" steel was still the primary choice for fine  
cutting tools like surgical instruments. Faraday was responsible for  
some of the first true alloy steels and did create the first corrosion  
resistant steel, it relied on a newly discovered metal called platinum  
as its main alloying element (up to 40% Pt!). There is a good book on  
his work in metals called “Faraday and His Metallurgical Researches”  
Hadfield, Sir Robert A. Chapman & Hall Ltd 1931 it is out of print but  
can be found on some of the old book websites.


Jim


James Binnion
jbin at well.com