Another wootz question

[Jeff D]

Originally Posted by Gonzalo G

Jeff, how important could it be the presence on enough manganese in the crucible to produce different banded effects, as it seems to have incidence over the carbon segregation? Could it be a factor to explain some of this differences?
Regards

Gonzalo

Hi Gonzalo,

I am not a metallurgist, But, I thought the Manganese dioxide was added to neutralize the Sulfur in the iron, which makes the blade too brittle to work with when heated. Verhoeven does state that very small traces of Manganese will promote banding (less effect then Vanadium). I think trace amounts are usually present anyway, so I don't think that is the reason it was added to the crucible.
I personally feel that it is more likely the original source of the iron, with its inherent properties that made the biggest difference. The other ingredients and etchants may have helped or hindered somewhat but Like Verhoven did, a smith would keep hitting a wall until the right iron was found. I agree with ariel that a poor smith even with the correct iron could loose the effect.

All the Best
Jeff