Damascening

Damascening, or DAMASKENING, is a name which is given (1) to the watered or striated structure seen in certain sword-blades and other weapons, and (2) to the ornamental incrustation with gold and silver of steel and iron surfaces. The term in both its applications originates from the city of Damascus, whence the crusaders brought into Europe swords and other weapons of remarkable strength, elasticity, and keenness of edge, the surfaces of which were beautifully striated with wavy dark and light lines. The hilts of such weapons, and the whole surface of defensive armour from the same source were in many cases elaborately ornamented with incrustated gold, and hence one term came to be applied to the peculiar structure of the metal, and to its ornamental treatment. It is probable that even in the crusaders' times the making of the so-called Damascus blades and the art of damascening were Persian, and to this day they remain characteristic of that country, the practice having spread thence eastward into India, while the Persians still supply the Turks on the west with their best and most highly ornamented weapons. The production of a watered or damascened surface is illustrated by the manufacture of 'Damascus twist' barrels for sporting-guns. The metal for the barrels is prepared from rods of iron and steel, piled alternately and forged and welded together into a single solid rod of small section. Three of these composite rods are used in forming a barrel. They are separately twisted in contrary directions till each has the appearance of a fine threaded screw, then they are welded together into a solid ribbon, which in its turn is spirally wound and welded by the edges till the requisite length and bore of barrel are formed. The result of the intertwisting of fine laminae of steel and iron is a beautifully damascened surface which shows itself when the barrel has been treated with acid. The incrustation of arms, armour, and other objects of steel and iron with gold, and more rarely with silver, is very extensively practised in the North-west Provinces of India, as well as in Persia. In India it is known as Knift work or Kuftgari. The design to be worked out is undercut in the metal, into this the gold or silver wire is laid, and the scarp edge is beaten down with a hammer, thus securing the wire in its position. Another method consists in scratching the surface, and beating into the scratched lines the gold or silver wire, after which the whole surface is burnished to remove the ineisions. See GUN.