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.
為展現其超凡的銳利度，商人將絲巾向上一拋，然後手持軍刀揮舞，兩截絲巾就落到了地上。雖然不是第一次見到，但 Henri 每每都為刀刃的鋒利度感到神奇。商人看到 Henris 的表情後露出一個篤定的笑容，他知道這個陌生人將成為這把大馬士革軍刀的新主人。
系列產品的開端
Henri 開始尋找其他的事物來提升自己討價還價的籌碼，他很享受這個過程，而且他很瞭解軍刀及其市場，反正一開始價錢總是較貴。儘管身穿東方衣物，但是這位來自沙夫豪森的瑞士旅人兼企業家 Henri Moser of Charlottenfels 在波斯人潮中依然格外突出。 他將軍刀緊緊地抱在胸前，身邊環繞著緊盯著他與細聲談論的人群，最後他離開了商人的攤檔。他下定了決心。他對於這個文化與其手工藝品深深著迷，所以也展開穿越亞洲大陸的第二個篇章。
知名旅遊作家及收藏家
知名的大馬士革鋼成為他的熱情所在，他亦因此收藏了 1,300 多件精心打造的東方武器。他記錄了自己在中亞的所見所聞，這趟冒險後來也成為暢銷旅遊書的先驅之一。回到歐洲之後，人們總喜歡聚集聽他說更多冒險故事，並一睹 Henri Moser 在旅途中購買的精美大馬士革刀與其他豐富的收藏品。Henri 不斷回到亞洲，越發好奇地試圖揭開大馬士革鋼製作方法的神秘面紗。
But it won’t be until 2006 that scientists in Dresden make a breakthrough discovery with the samples of Henri’s sabres: The chemical mixture and treatment of the steel has created so-called carbon nanotubes. Running like fine but strong threads through the knife, they give the blade hardness and flexibility at the same time, and create a sort of self-sharpening function. Even though the original process of its creation has been long lost, the secret composition of the Damast steel is finally unveiled with the help of Henri’s treasures.
New Approaches to an Old Kind of Steel
Today, Henri Moser’s impressive collection is on view at the Bern Historic Museum in Switzerland. Meanwhile, many ways have been explored and found to create blades that carry the famous traits: Repeated heating and mechanical layering of different kinds of steel, and a mixture of various kinds of steel powders are popular methods to create today’s variations of Damast steel.
