Pattern of forging

Mark · 8th June 2006, 03:28 PM

I love the patterns in Tibetan blades. I've never seen ones as intricate as these, though, Athena. Beautiful! The first almost rather like a keris pamor.

I got a close-up look at a liu wei dao (willow leaf sabre) with a horse tooth pattern on a recent trip to Longquan in China. It actually is in the History of Steel exhibition, now (I was there helping evaluate and pick - well sort of

- swords for the exhibition). Anyway, Zhou Zhen Wu, the owner, who is himself a great smith (again the Macao connection - he represented China in the Masters of Fire exhibition), has been trying to figure out how the pattern was achieved. It is not a temper pattern (at least his wasn't), but is sanmai. So far he hasn't had success. It is one of those lost arts in Chinese swordmaking.

PS: Here's a little game of "Where's Waldo" -- can you spot me in the pictures in Antonio's article?

athena · 9th June 2006, 01:54 AM

Longquan is close to our hometown.

Threetemper · 14th June 2006, 04:07 AM

Beautiful patterns on both blades. I have never seen the second one before.

14th June 2006, 04:07 AM	#3
Threetemper Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Oakhurst,NJ Posts: 14	pattern Beautiful patterns on both blades. I have never seen the second one before.

8th June 2006, 03:28 PM	#1
Mark Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 987	I love the patterns in Tibetan blades. I've never seen ones as intricate as these, though, Athena. Beautiful! The first almost rather like a keris pamor. I got a close-up look at a liu wei dao (willow leaf sabre) with a horse tooth pattern on a recent trip to Longquan in China. It actually is in the History of Steel exhibition, now (I was there helping evaluate and pick - well sort of - swords for the exhibition). Anyway, Zhou Zhen Wu, the owner, who is himself a great smith (again the Macao connection - he represented China in the Masters of Fire exhibition), has been trying to figure out how the pattern was achieved. It is not a temper pattern (at least his wasn't), but is sanmai. So far he hasn't had success. It is one of those lost arts in Chinese swordmaking. PS: Here's a little game of "Where's Waldo" -- can you spot me in the pictures in Antonio's article?

9th June 2006, 01:54 AM	#2
athena Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 42	Longquan is close to our hometown.