| "> | | | | to mix in the carbon impurities is when the steel is |
| Damascus Steel is a broad category of | | | | hot. The archetypal image of a blacksmith striking |
| metallurgical techniques used to make higher | | | | sparks from a red hot steel blade that we see in |
| technology knives and sword blades in the 12th | | | | movies and popular culture stems from needing |
| through 18th centuries. Prior to the Bessemer | | | | to distribute the carbon (from coke or charcoal) |
| process which allows steel to be made in large | | | | through the blade. You'd hammer the steel while |
| quantities with exact control over the amount of | | | | it's glowing hot, turn the blade over, hammer it |
| carbon in the mix, steel was made in an artisanal | | | | again, and reheat. The aim of doing this was to |
| method â it was made in small batches, | | | | make sure that the carbon granules were broken |
| and making a batch large enough to make a | | | | to the right size in the alloy. (Modern steel making |
| sword was a technical challenge. | | | | allows much greater precision than merely |
| Steel is iron with carbon impurities; the best time | | | | hammering the nodules out). |