Abstract
The metallurgy of Indian swords shows many differences from that of European swords. The distinction between Damascus Steel (or wootz) and crucible steel is explained. Ten broken blades from the Armoury of the Nizams of Hyderabad were made available for microscopic examination. Six of these seem to been made from crucible steels, and are of notably high quality. By contrast, a group of six randomly collected from Private Collections in England were also examined. Only one of these was made of crucible steel, and three of the others were of very mediocre quality. This perhaps represents the quality of blades available to the average Indian soldier.
Highlights
Eastern swords with a surface pattern said to resemble “watered-silk” are deservedly famous and have been the subject of an extensive literature
Crucible steel was made by heating lumps of iron with carbon, or a material con
Enough carbon would have been absorbed for the alloy to melt, and the broken crucible would yield a cake of cast steel, which could be a convenient size for making a sword blade
Summary
In the ancient Middle East a method of making steel developed, entirely different to that of Europe. Crucible steel was made by heating lumps of iron with carbon, or a material con-. Enough carbon would have been absorbed for the alloy to melt, and the broken crucible would yield a cake of cast steel, which could be a convenient size for making a sword blade. Since the liquid metal separated from the liquid slag, it was a homogeneous product of high carbon content (1.2 – 1.6%), unequalled in Europe until the 18th century. The earliest products which were definitely made of crucible steel date from the 6th century, and the earliest descriptions of the process from the 9th century, there is some, less certain, evidence for its earlier use. France-Lanord published an analysis of a Luristan blade of uncertain date, but possibly much earlier, and which was made of a very high-carbon steel[2]
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