Damascus Steel
Alloys · Rare · Medieval
The legendary blade steel of the medieval Middle East, harder, sharper and more flexible than any European steel of the same period. Its secret was lost for centuries and has only recently been partially rediscovered through metallurgical analysis.
Identity
- Source
- Middle Eastern smithing tradition
- Aliases
- Wootz steel (source material), Pattern-welded steel
Physical Properties
- Appearance
- Dark grey to black with distinctive flowing wave patterns of lighter metal visible on the surface
- Luster
- Metallic
- Density
- 7.8 g/cm³
- Melting point
- 1425 °C
- Boiling point
- 2700 °C
- Lighter
- Glassforged
- Denser
- Steel
- Magnetism
- Ferromagnetic
- Electrical conductivity
- Medium
Mechanical Properties
- Mohs hardness
- 6.5
- Tensile strength
- 1500 MPa
- Softer
- Titanium
- Harder
- Vanadium
- Workability
- Difficult
- Brittleness
- Tough
- Malleability
- Moderate
- Ductility
- Moderate
Chemical Properties
- Corrosion resistance
- moderate
- Reactivity
- moderate
Lore & Narrative
Crusader accounts describe Damascus blades cutting falling silk and shaving hair, feats modern replications can confirm. The flowing patterns are formed by carbide bands of cementite, created through repeated folding and acid etching.
- Notable uses
- Sword blades, knife blades, armor, high-value cutlery
- Forge uses
- swords, knives, armor
- Worldbuilding traits
- patterned, legendary, lost-art, medieval
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