Examinaihfl of a true Damafcut Blade. 469 



fteel, whether obtained iUre£lly from the ore, or by cementation of malleable iron, has 

 ddfervedly taken place of every other article, on account of the united qualities of tenacity 

 and hardnefs *. ^ hen the fword was the chief weapon of war, it muft have been an objeil 

 of grea intereft and demand to give to its blade a durable keen edge, and a degree of Crm- 

 nefs or ftrcngth, which, without rendering it unwieldy, fliould enfure the warrior againft 

 expofure to the fatal accident of its breaking in the atl of combat. The fabres of Da- 

 mnTcus have been famous for ages, and ftiU bear a great price in the Eaft ; but we have no 

 decided account of the manner in which this fteel is mannfadured or made up. Some 

 years ago I was favoured w ith the pofleffion of a true blade of this kind for a few days, 

 which, if my recoUeftion be accurate, had coft the pofleflbr twelve guineas at Conflan- 

 tinople. I know the fun^ was not lefs than this. As I was not permitted to make any 

 experiments upon it, I could only ground my procefs upon reafoning from its external ap- 

 pearance and obvious qualities. 



It had a dull grey or blueifh appearance, was fcarcely harder than common fteel from th<* 

 forge, was not ealily bended, and when bended had no fpring to recover its figure. Its 

 back was fmooth, as were alfo two narrow Hoped furfaces which formed its edge under 

 an angle of about 40 degrees ; but its flat fides were every where covered with minute 

 waving lines in mafles in all direftions, not crofiing each other, and, for the moft part, 

 running in the direflion of its length. The lines were in general as fine as harpfichord 

 wire, not extremely well defined nor continued ; and their diftinflion from each other was 

 elFefled by no perceptible indentation of the furface, but rather by the fucceflion of parts 

 differing in the degree of polifh or brightnefs. No one, upon infpeftion of this furface, 

 would for a moment have miagined or allowed that it could have been done by engraving 

 or etcliing, as the falfe blades are damaOced. I was informed that if any part of this blade 

 were made fmooth by grinding or whetting, the wavy appearance, called the water, could 

 be again produced by means of lemon juice ; and that its excellencies were, that it could be 

 depended upon not to break, and that it would cut deeper into a foft fubftance, fuch as a 

 pack of wool, or into flefh, than any other kind of blade. 



From thefe circumftances, as well as from the price, I was Induced to think that the 

 blade was compofed of fteel and iron, and that the procefs of forging was fuch as greatly 

 to eiihance the coft, by the labour and management it might require. For if we fuppofe 

 the pieces to be united together at the welding heat, and then forged or drawn out, it i$ 

 certain that no fmall degree of Ikill and care would be required to render all the parts found, 

 and at the fame time preferve the fteel and iron in poflcfTion of their chara£leriftic prp- 

 perties. Too great a heat would probably render the whole mafs more uniform than is 

 confiftcnt with the fubfequcnt produftion of the water or wavy appearance. In my attempt 

 to imitate this fteel, 1 endeavoured to fubftitute a mechanical contrivance in the place of this 

 fuppofed careful forging. 



I caufed a cylindrical hole of about one inch in diameter to be bored through a piece of 

 caft iron, the lower part of which could be fo placed upon an anvil as to clofe one end of 

 the hole.' A forged iron plug was made nearly to fit the cylindrical hole, but confiderably 

 'longer. Equal weights of German fteel and Swcdifli iron, both in filing?, were then well 



'■' Philofpphical Journal, I. 3I1. 



mixed 



