The Secret of the Damast steel

A Special Kind of Blade

Persia, 1884

This is a special one. He can feel it. Even before he pulls the shamshir, the Persian sabre, out of its sheath. He can feel its presence, even before he runs a finger across the blade. It seems as if the strength radiating from the blade is rippling its surface, in support of the one who carries it. He softly touches the steel. It is smooth and cool, despite the midday heat, which has made its way into the drafty halls of the bazaar of Mashhad, crowded with moving bodies and filled with the chatter of negotiations.

He takes a closer look. He was right: There is a subtle, wave-like pattern in the steel, fine dark lines that hint at a prestigious heritage. “True Damas steel,” says the merchant, as if reading his mind. He proudly points to an engraving at the shaft. Henri Moser recognizes the golden Persian letters and nods knowingly. He has already collected a few knives with the signature of the famous swordsmith Assad Ullah of Isfahan. Ullah’s workshop created famous oriental warrior gear to decorate and defend a man’s position with its outstanding beauty, sharpness and strength.

Like Rippled Water

The word "damas", which means “water” in Arabic, is a possible origin of the name of this special steel with the rippled water pattern. Made from Indian wootz, a high-quality steel, it was traded as far as the major weapon hub of Damascus in Syria. With the important role of Damascus in the trade with the West, the name evolved into Damascus, Damascene and Damast Steel. While the recipe and exact blade-making process of the steel from India and Persia were highly guarded secrets that were lost, even before Henri’s visit to the bazaar in Mashhad, myths and legends surrounding the steel grew as it became popular among Westerners.

High Perfomance

To demonstrate its extraordinary edge, the merchant tosses a silk scarf into the air and swipes the sabre at it. Two pieces of silk fall to the floor. Even though he has seen it a few times, Henri is always impressed by this performance. The merchant sees Henri’s expression and breaks into a crooked smile of certainty. This stranger will become the new owner of the Damast sabre.

THE START OF A COLLECTION

Henri starts looking at a few other things to improve his bargaining position. He enjoys the process and knows the sabres and the market. Prices usually start out high. Despite his oriental clothes, the Swiss traveler and entrepreneur Henri Moser of Charlottenfels from Schaffhausen stands out in a Persian crowd. With the sabre tightly clutched at his chest, aware of on-lookers and whispers about him, he finally leaves the merchant's stall. He is resolute. His fascination with the culture and its artifacts guide him on this second expedition through Asia.

Un famoso coleccionista y cronista viajero

El famoso acero de Damasco se convertiría en una de sus pasiones y lo conduciría a la colección de más de 1300 armas orientales ingeniosamente fabricadas. El aventurero describe sus experiencias en Asia Central, que lo convertirán en uno de los pioneros de las crónicas de viaje. De regreso a Europa, las personas se reúnen para escuchar sus aventuras y apreciar el arte de los cuchillos de Damasco y la extensa colección que Henri Moser ha adquirido en sus viajes. Henri sigue viajando a Asia; cada día le genera más curiosidad la posibilidad de revelar el secreto de la fabricación del acero de Damasco.

SABLES PARA LA CIENCIA

Entre sus amigos se encuentra un científico que comparte la curiosidad de Henri sobre el secreto de la composición especial del acero. Con unas pocas y preciadas hojas de la colección que fueron donadas generosamente, es capaz de descifrar un contenido alto de carbono y una composición especial de elementos traza dentro del acero.

Un descubrimiento sorprendente

En 2006, los científicos de Dresde realizaron un gran descubrimiento con las muestras de los sables de Henri: El tratamiento y la mezcla química del acero han creado los llamados nanotubos de carbono. Los nanotubos corren como finos pero resistentes hilos por el cuchillo al mismo tiempo que le brindan a la hoja rigidez y flexibilidad, y crean una especie de función autoafilable. Si bien el proceso original de creación se perdió hace mucho tiempo, la composición secreta del acero de Damasco se revela finalmente con la ayuda de los tesoros de Henri.

Nuevos enfoques a un antiguo tipo de acero

Hoy en día, la impresionante colección de Henri Moser está en exhibición en el Museo Histórico de Berna, Suiza. Se han explorado y descubierto muchísimas formas de crear hojas que presenten estos famosos rasgos: El calentamiento y la estratificación mecánica repetidos de distintos tipos de acero, y la mezcla de varios tipos de polvos de acero son métodos comunes de creación de las variaciones actuales del acero de Damasco.