At a glance
- It began as a way to combine harder and softer irons into a better blade, with decoration as a bonus.
- The sword from the Sutton Hoo ship burial has a pattern-welded blade.
- It faded as better, more even steel became available.
- American smith Bill Moran sparked the modern revival in 1973.
How does pattern welding work?
Pieces of two or more steels are stacked or twisted together, heated to welding heat and hammered or pressed until they fuse into one solid bar. The bar is then drawn out, cut, restacked, twisted or cut into to move the layers around. When the finished blade is etched in acid, the different steels darken differently and the pattern appears. See Damascus steel for the steps.
Early medieval pattern-welded swords
Early iron was uneven: some pieces hard and brittle, others soft. By welding together twisted rods of different irons and steels, smiths made blades that were more consistent and also strikingly decorated. Pattern-welded swords appear in Europe from the Roman period and were prized through the Migration period and early medieval times. The sword from the early 7th-century Sutton Hoo ship burial in Suffolk has a pattern-welded core of twisted rods, with an edge welded around it according to X-ray studies.
As steelmaking improved and more even steel became available, around the 9th and 10th centuries, pattern welding faded out of sword making in Europe.
The modern revival
In 1973, American knife maker Bill Moran showed pattern-welded blades, which he called Damascus steel, to other makers. That started the modern revival. Today pattern-welded "Damascus" is one of the most popular materials in custom knife making, and many UK forges run Damascus courses.
Common patterns
| Pattern | How it's made | Look |
|---|---|---|
| Random | Layers left as forged | Flowing wood grain |
| Twist | The bar is twisted | Repeating star or spiral |
| Ladder | Grooves cut or pressed across the bar | Rungs across the blade |
| Raindrop | Shallow holes drilled or pressed | Rings like drops on water |
| W or feather | Layers restacked on edge, or split and spread | Chevrons or a feather shape |
| Mosaic | Bars cut and arranged into images | Pictures or symbols in the steel |
Pattern welding vs san mai
Pattern welding uses many layers for pattern. San mai uses just three: a hard core between two softer layers, for performance and protection.
Questions people ask
Is pattern welding the same as Damascus?
Modern Damascus steel is pattern-welded steel. Historic Damascus blades were made from wootz, a different, single crucible steel.
Why did smiths pattern weld swords?
To combine harder and softer irons into a more consistent, reliable blade, and for the decoration. It was valued for both.
What is the Sutton Hoo sword made of?
Its blade has a pattern-welded core of twisted iron and steel rods, with an edge welded around it, according to X-ray studies.
Who revived pattern welding?
American knife maker Bill Moran is credited with starting the modern revival in 1973.
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Related pages
Sources
- Davidson, H.R.E. (1962) The Sword in Anglo-Saxon England: Its Archaeology and Literature. Clarendon Press
- New York Sun (2006) "Bill Moran, 80, revived Damascus steel blades"