[Sca-cooks] Damascus Question

[Phlip]

Ene bichizh ogsen baina shuu...

> A couple of points:
>
> 1. Quibble. "Damascus" actually describes two quite different
> technologies (wootz and mechanical damascus), only one of which fits
> your description.

Quibble response- You're perfectly accurate, Cariadoc, but those of us who
know the difference don't bother to try to explain it, since it tends to be
a bit technical. "Damascus" is used interchangeably with "pattern welded",
which is the actual term for what Dan's making, just because everyone thinks
they know what they're talking about.

As far as wootz, it's an interesting technique. The Damascus smiths managed
to actually heat the metal to the liquid stage, rather than to the bloom
stage, in closed crucibles, thus coming up with an interestingly patterned
steel. Wootz, however, would rate about average among our modern simple
steels- think it would be equivalent to a 1060 or so. Intend, one of these
days, when I get into experimenting with steel and iron making from ore, to
make some.

> 2. Buying stuff. Elizabeth has long complained that almost all knives
> sold in the SCA are weapons, not tools. One particular sort of knife
> I am familiar with and essentially never see in the society is an
> indo-persian knife called a kard. The small ones are basically
> eating/utility knives, the large ones eating/cooking/weapon, with
> some but not all pretty obviously intended as weapons. They are not
> uncommonly of damascus steel--I have a couple (antiques) that are.
>
> I'm not good at describing objects, but if you have access to Stone's
> Glossary or some other good reference work you can find pictures. I
> think it would be nice to have someone making and selling damascus
> kards in the SCA--and the small ones, with 3"-5" blades, you should
> be able to get down to a price close to the period eating knives out
> of the Museum of London book that a few people make and sell in the
> SCA.
> -- 
> David/Cariadoc

Well, the problem is, as I mentioned to Dan, tht people in SCA aren't
particularly willing to pay the prices required for the work that you do to
make an absolutely authentic piece. Want to guess how many times craftsmen
of my acquaintance have heard, "But alkl you have in it is your time..." The
result has been that people start out making things here in SCA, and then
have to migrate to Mundania in order to earn a living. Those who stick
around are doing it purely for love of SCA-  don't expect to make an honest
wage.

I know myself that I only accept commissions that I can use to teach my
students, things I can sell for 5 or 10 dollars, because people just won't
pay for what I have in it. Recently, I had a lady wanting to have me make a
rather complex candlabra, thinking that I could make it for less than she
could get it from some Asian factory, where they're turned out on production
lines by people working for dollars a week. She about dropped her teeth at
what I'd have to charge her- and I reduced the prices because it was an
interesting project.

OTOH, people will pay for pretty weapons, whether thewy know how to use them
or not. And I'm not immune- I saw a beautiful pattern welded Great Sword,
that if I'd have had $2800, I'd have bought in a heartbeat- it was beautiful
enough that I was seriously considering learning how to fight with Great
Sword (from Oso's forge ;-)

But, back to the knives you're describing. Any chance you could take
pictures of the kards you have? As I'm getting more and more into my
smithing, I'm collecting pictures of all the period metalwork I can find.

Saint Phlip,
CoDoLDS

"When in doubt, heat it up and hit it with a hammer."
 Blacksmith's credo.

 If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it is probably not a
cat.

Never a horse that cain't be rode,
And never a rider who cain't be throwed....