Question on tulwar blade construction

RSWORD · 18th January 2016, 11:54 AM

The primary reason you see a scarf weld that is done towards the handle is due to the difficulty of forging wootz at the longer lengths. To draw out a long blade requires immense skill. You also run the risk of the material being brittle if not controlled perfectly. Plus, you have the expense involved. So it was quite common, as can be seen in the pictures, for the tang and first bit of blade to be a homogeneous steel and then the wootz welded to that. Not only does it make a strong join it is now less prone to being brittle and breaking. When you start getting to the middle of the blade and onward it seems less likely to be manufactured this way and more likely a repair. One observation is that most scarf welds I have seen that are located near the handle are done in an arc or semi circle and not a straight line. While not a blade smith or welder I would think this gives you the best possible join of the two materials.

18th January 2016, 11:54 AM	#31
RSWORD Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 1,087	The primary reason you see a scarf weld that is done towards the handle is due to the difficulty of forging wootz at the longer lengths. To draw out a long blade requires immense skill. You also run the risk of the material being brittle if not controlled perfectly. Plus, you have the expense involved. So it was quite common, as can be seen in the pictures, for the tang and first bit of blade to be a homogeneous steel and then the wootz welded to that. Not only does it make a strong join it is now less prone to being brittle and breaking. When you start getting to the middle of the blade and onward it seems less likely to be manufactured this way and more likely a repair. One observation is that most scarf welds I have seen that are located near the handle are done in an arc or semi circle and not a straight line. While not a blade smith or welder I would think this gives you the best possible join of the two materials.