julian Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 I'm not sure who exactly the first laminated steel/damascus smith was in the US...I don't think anyone knows for sure. Daryl Meier et al. were the first group to really make laminated steel big in the states. They were playing around with patterns and whatnot in the 70's, for reference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 Since cutting, stacking, welding, drawing out and repeating is the standard method of getting from a bloom to usable wrought iron and some of those blooms can be quite high in carbon content, it will probably be someone in the early 17th century when they were testing ores out by using a bloomery to smelt some. (I don't know if the Spanish tried it earlier in NA) Now fancy patterened steel was done for gun barrels in the late 19th century on a common basis and I would not doubt that somebody tried it over here as well as just importing them from France and Belgum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt87 Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 Don't forget the various types of shear steel; these are by definition 'laminated'. The production of steel was, I think, restricted in the Colonies by the British Government (either not allowed, or the number of steelmaking furnaces capped) but these laws (and various others) were increasingly ignored, and then of course after the War of Independence (or is that Rebellion? ) they were moot. As already mentioned, the welding-up of scrap was a common occurrence, probably since welding was discovered. Steel was expensive, and America full of wood (for charring) and coal. Pattern-welded gun barrels were typically made from soft iron rather than steel; black powder develops a somewhat softer pressure curve than modern nitro powders, and the shot or bullet was never jacketed, just soft lead -- what would be the point in using expensive, more difficult to work steel? (Nowadays you'll probably encounter 4140/EN19 at a minimum in a rifle barrel.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leroyk Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 what we call damascus steel was first made in the city of damscus don't know if it was in syria or not bt it was 5000 years ago Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 (edited) what we call damascus steel was first made in the city of damscus don't know if it was in syria or not bt it was 5000 years ago No this is not completely correct, you may wish to read a bit more before making a statement like that. There is not even any evidence it was ever made in that city. Even searching this site, should give you a little more insight. and as for 5000 years.... Edited February 8, 2009 by steve sells Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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