Damascene swords

We can’t mention Arab swords and ignore the Damascene sword which was the secret of many heroic actions of Arab fighters. The sword was not a tool of pride only, but it was a tool of war and a symbol of dignity, technical creation, and proficiency of metal smith.

The reputation of Damascus as a producer of fine swords likely came, not only from producing these blades, but also from the fact that the city was the centre of the sword trade in the Middle East – dealing in swords from as far as Persia, India and Yemen.

Historically, Damascene swords are believed to have been made by hammering a batch of low carbon wrought iron into thin sheets, then tying these tightly into bundles. A batch high carbon caste iron was then heated until molten, then, the bundles were thrown into the melted iron.

The bundled sheets would suck in the melted cast iron into the empty spaces, in the process partially melting the wrought iron sheets and welding the bundle into a solid mass. The mass would be hammered into a rough shape of a sword while still hot. After being cooled, the blade would be filed, ground and polished, then finely decorated.

The original Damascus steel swords may have been made in the vicinity of Damascus, Syria, in the period from 900AD to as late as 1750AD. Damascus steel is a type of steel alloy that is both hard and flexible, a combination that made it ideal for the building of swords. It is said that when Damascus made swords were first encountered by Ottomans during the Crusades, it garnered an almost mythical reputation Damascus steel blade was said to be able to cut a piece of silk in half as it fell to the ground, as well as being able to chop through normal blades, or even rock, without losing its sharp edge. Recent metallurgical experiments, based on microscopic studies of preserved Damascus-steel blades, have claimed to reproduce very similar steel via possible reconstructions of the historical process.

Damascus swords were of legendary sharpness and strength, and were apocryphally claimed to be able to cut through lesser quality European swords and even rock. The technique used to create original Damascus steel is now a matter of historical conjecture.

Many raw materials, and the metal smiths’ recipes, are no longer available. The foundation for Damascus Steel is Wootz Steel, which originated in India and Sri Lanka and later spread to Persia. From the 3rd century to 17th century, India was shipping steel ingots to the Middle East for use in Damascus steel. In late 2006, a group of scientists headed by Peter Paufler found direct evidence of nanotubes and nanowires in a sample of a 17th century sword forged from Damascus steel. The complex process of forging and annealing is thought to have accounted for the nano-scale structures.

The general term “Damascus” refers to metal with a visible grain pattern, sometimes with a texture. Modern Damascus is a lamination of folded steels selected with cosmetic qualities, with grinding and polishing specifically to expose the layers. True Damascus patterns are formed when carbon trace elements form visible swirls in the steel mix. These elements change properties when the steel is work hardened (forged), creating the patterns.

By about 1000 A.D., the Arabs introduced the art of making Damascene steel to Toledo in Arab Spain which thereafter the city earned a reputation as a producer of delicate steel. Today, remnants of that industry still remain, producing souvenir swords for tourists.

However, in the past, the Damascene swords were something different. For the Arabs, they were competitors to the pen. The great poet al-Mutanabbi, whose poetry is considered by the Arabs as perfection itself wrote: the arid land knows me well, the night, the mounted men, the battlefield, the sword, the writing pad and pen.

Another poet Abu Tammam wrote when the Caliph al-Mu tasim, acting against the dark predictions of the astrologers, stormed and captured the Byzantine city of Amorium: Truer than words of books is the sword in its tidings, Its edge is the boundary between seriousness and rompings.

The white gleam of swords, not the black ink of books, True Damascus steel stopped being produced on a large scale in the 14th century when Tamerlane, devastated Damascus and carried all the sword smiths back with him to work for his armies. By about the 15th century, production of these exceptional swords had almost ceased. Damascene steel, which had once spurred envy and myths among Europeans, had ceased to exist.

Arabs were proud of their swords, so they gave them several names to distinguish their characteristics. One can count more than 10 names referring to kinds of swords. Today, descendants of the great craftsmen who had in medieval times made superb swords for great armies now produce replicas of the work of their ancestors for the endless tourists. Sword smiths

Mohammad Nouh, is owner of a small shop in Old Damascus near the Umayyad Mosque. He sells jewelry and replicas of archaeological items. Behind the shelves and boxes of ceramic items he hides something of exceptional value. A grey sword with a thin blade, different from the adorned swords he sells to tourists. “This sword is extraordinary. It is essential in our history and culture. Many people have heard of Damascene swords but saw none of them because they are very rare. I don’t like to sell any of them, and when I do, I feel as if a piece of my body is chopped off and will never be compensated. If I sell this sword I wouldn’t find a replacement in five or may be ten years.” Hence, the price of $10,000 asked for one of these bona fide medieval swords was a true bargain – that is if it was truly an authentic Damascene sword Mahmoud alSyoufi (his name is derived from his profession “sword smith”) is the descendant of the last sword smith family, works in plating handles and sheaths in gold. He is proud of his career as a profession and as a heritage art. He took it from his father and will teach it to his children father and will teach it to his children in order not to be lost.

Haifaa Mafalani