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27th June 2007, 01:46 PM | #1 |
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 116
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but weren't all wootz blades air quenched...?
actually you can differentially harden a blade when you quench it... if you have a shallow hardening steel ( like wootz ) .. it has to be cooled quickly enough to produce martensite... if not, then it only can go to other structures..... so if you quench in oil.. the thin edge section will cool quick enough to harden but the spine will retain to much heat to harden... ( very similar to the japanese clay coat without clay ) with a hot,thinner ...quicker oil, you can fully harden the blade...... Greg |
27th June 2007, 04:09 PM | #2 |
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Posts: 163
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Hello All,
There have been no reports which I am aware of which state that any wootz blade was martensitic. On a recent trip through north India I saw many blade which showed this darker edge, many were Persian, but a few Indian.....as I understand the differences. This will be the subject of some study in the near future. I have several samples to test, but should anyone have any blades which exhibit this and are of no use for anything else I would like to take a sample of the blade for testing...and yes, this is a destructive test and yes it will occur in a lab both in the UK and in the US. My gut reaction was that they were heat treated in some fashion, but quenching to martensite is but one possibility. Ric |
27th June 2007, 05:40 PM | #3 |
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 116
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Hi
Journal of the history of Arabic science vol 1, 1978 pg 3-30 " Metallographic examination of Two Damascene steel blades by Jerzy Piaskowski two swords had strips of carbides in a sorbitic matrix ( sorbite being highly tempered martensite.. ) and theres two more one study by H. Maryon on a dagger... and another by C. Panseri on 2 swords. -- both conclude cementite strips in a sorbite matrix just some reading Greg |
29th June 2007, 08:06 PM | #4 | |
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Posts: 163
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Quote:
I'll re-read those..been years. Got the micrographs handy? You may wish to have a read here. http://www.struers.com/resources/ele...474/35art2.pdf It is important to view the microstructures and see what is there because terms mean different things to different folk....even those that have the parchment. Sorbite to some means fine lamallar pearlite to others it means tempered martensite. Such is the nature of things. Just a thought. Ric Last edited by Richard Furrer; 30th June 2007 at 03:00 AM. Reason: more clarity |
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