[Anders Lindkvist]

Hello!

Just a little question...


Often swords from the vikingage are made by damascusfoldings, it can be with a few or several layers of steel. But then the damascusblades almost disepeared in the beginning of 11th century. Was this because of higher steel qualities so the smith could make just laminated blades strong as damascusblades?

So my question, has anyone pictures of good damascus from the years 1100-1500? Or has anyone good answer about damascusfolding after viking age.

Best regards/
Anders

[Peter Johnsson]

Hej Anders!

Patternwelding saw widespread use in the making of swordblades in roman times. It was celebrated as a sign of high quality blades during the "dark ages" of the migration period. It continued to be used during the early viking age, but was replaced by other methods during the latter half of the viking age.

Instead iffernt methods of lamination and composite billets were used in the construction of swordblades. This was a result of developments in the manufacture of steel as well as changes in the forging process. The production methods that replaced patternwelding did produce at least as good blades as before (probably better) and also faster.

We see no patternwelding in swordblades (surviving swords) from about 10th C and onwards. Patternweling was still occasionally used in knives and spear heads for a few centuries onwards.

This is a wast subject, and this is no intention to supply an in depth answer. In general one can say that a typicla viking sword can be made from "mono" steel (= no visible pattern: they were instead constructed by different lamination technoiques) or be made of patterwelded material.

Later times did not see any use of patternwelded construction in reards of sword blades.