Wootz - The True Damascus Steel?
110,922
Published 2024-04-22
Written version of this video's information: knifesteelnerds.com/2024/04/22/wootz-the-true-dama…
00:00 Introduction to Wootz
02:56 Composition and Hardenability
08:14 Microstructure
10:04 Toughness
12:15 Edge Retention
14:53 Wootz Questions
22:18 Conclusions
All Comments (21)
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It's only Wootz if it's grown in the Woot region of France, otherwise it's just called sparkling Damascus.
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This is a great study, thanks! Great work by all, particularly Spencer on making and providing this Wootz!
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I think that Mr. Pendry created the closest approximation of wootz as he used ore from the mine in Syria where they were sourcing the metals for the blades historically. Moreover, they may have had special forging techniques that were specialized for that wootz steel just like there are different forging techniques for modern steels.
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If "Wootz" is referencing the ancient material - then I think making it with modern methods in bulk would affect the term used - like lab grown gems vs natural. Your tangents were not a distraction and appreciated in fact as it's hard to balance the myth of steel with the practicality of modern science.
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Thank you so much for doing this. This will be a great place to send people who constantly rattle on about wootz being some type of indestructible super steel.
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Well, we all know that you can't get the legendary hardness without quenching it in the blood of your enemies, so there's your problem. Seriously though -- great video, great scientific approach, and I'd love to see more with other combinations for a "better, modern wootz."
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Very good video. One nice inclusion is the acknowledgement that there is a vast variety of wootz compositions as well as heat treatments, each with vastly different material properties
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I like what FZ Knives does with his crucible “Wootz” He uses modern steels from drill bits/tool steel types mixed with powdered steels, carbon and other alloying agents. Beautiful patterns that have got to be much tougher than historical wootz.
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Woot
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I always enjoy your content. Your website has helped me a lot in understanding metallurgy in general. Ive learned more about metallurgy from your videos/website than I have from any of my university material science courses and really appreciate how you put to rest a lot of the debates about what is best wether it be damascus, super-steels, etc. I look forward to seeing what you do next👍
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wootz and damascus steel both seem like they were made from scraps of traditionally folded iron just chucked into a crucible, "Can't do anything with this nugget, lets try and put it in a clay jar with some dry leaves, sand, and an animal tooth to give it some power." and created early steel
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Thank you very much Larrin for this great study and video!
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Yea boyy another KSN vid!
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If you haven't yet, a good book to look into is Medieval Islamic Swords and Swordmaking: Kindi's Treatise 'On swords and their kind' by Robert G. Hoyland and Brian Gilmour. I read through it last year, and while the wording isn't the clearest in English, it seemed to me that the wootz swordsmiths had a pretty good understanding of optimizing hardness and toughness for the particular blade through changes in heat treatment.
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"We can make better steel today". I can hear them coming out of the wood work 🐜 🪰🪳🪳🦟
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Interesting discussion.. thanks for sharing
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I remember reading years ago an article about a damascus viking wootz sword found in the sea near scotland. Microscopic image showed a black chrismastree like structure in rows. Unfortunately i don't remember which publication it was in
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Thank you! This filled in a lot of gaps for me with regards to heat treating.
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Thank you for citing the distinct differences.
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Good video!! Awesome stuff!!! Really nice to see someone not always cranking out high carbide or super steel videos.
