Damascus steel

Behind this “orientalisation” is hidden an ancient forging technic whose practice and origin would be found in Celtic times. In the Western world, it experienced a peak in the Merovingian period.

Without wishing to retrace history, be reminded that this technic was dormant before reemerging in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries especially through the art of gunners (canon makers).
In the twentieth century, it conquered the world of knife makers in the USA, in Germany and France where it has been developing since the late 80s .

The concept of damascus steel is the mixture between iron, a low carbonate steel (white), and a high carbonated steel (black).
This mixture can be done in many different ways.

The base is the “multilayer”, the blacksmith forges the different steels together by welding. That block of so many layers can be folded many times to duplicate those layers. The result is a ingot of steel which can be twisted several times, or welded with other ingots.

Like a puzzle, the blacksmith can also put different ingots already forged together to realise a new “picture” on the surface.

Each step coresponds to a different visual effect, but also to a different mechanical quality . The combinations are infinite and are only limited by the imagination of the blacksmith and the master of his art.