1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,400 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of I Heart Radio. Hey, 2 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:10,280 Speaker 1: brain Stuff, Lauren Volga bomb Here. It may look like 3 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:12,920 Speaker 1: something straight out of West Rows on Game of Thrones, 4 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:17,599 Speaker 1: but the beautifully undulating lines that characterized Damascus steel have 5 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:22,160 Speaker 1: more earthly origins. And if its appearance is striking, it's 6 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:24,680 Speaker 1: the physical benefits of this type of steel that made 7 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: it so sought after and it's heyday prized for centuries. 8 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:32,760 Speaker 1: Damascus steel lost prominence by the eighteenth century, but today 9 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:36,600 Speaker 1: it's made a resurgence. So what is this mythical steel. 10 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:41,120 Speaker 1: Let's start with some basics. Steel is an alloy made 11 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:44,519 Speaker 1: from iron and carbon, but mostly iron. The challenge for 12 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 1: ancient metal smiths was to create steel that was both 13 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:52,600 Speaker 1: flexible and strong. Early swordmakers didn't know how to precisely 14 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 1: compose steel. They were working with iron ore, not pure iron. 15 00:00:56,840 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 1: Iron ores are rocks and minerals that contain varying amount 16 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 1: of iron plus other stuff. When they melted these oars, 17 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:07,279 Speaker 1: they got what they got. Eventually, they discovered that certain 18 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:11,640 Speaker 1: ores produced one property and others produced different properties. Some 19 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:17,399 Speaker 1: oars imparted flexible material and others strong. We spoke with 20 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:21,160 Speaker 1: iron master pair Yarbellious, whose name I did look up, 21 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:22,800 Speaker 1: I couldn't find it. I hope I didn't muck it 22 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: up too badly. H He's an engineer and metallurgist with 23 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:30,200 Speaker 1: Damna Steel, a manufacturer steel produced in centuries old mills 24 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 1: in Sweden. He explained, Damascus is when you combine these 25 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:37,959 Speaker 1: steels into one forging. You take the flexible and you 26 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:42,480 Speaker 1: take the strong, and you forge them together. This layered 27 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: forging method yields what is known as pattern welded Damascus, 28 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: and this is the type of Damascus still made today. However, 29 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 1: centuries ago it was known as woots steel, and it 30 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:56,680 Speaker 1: was some of the finest steel in the world. It 31 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 1: was first produced in what's now India from an iron 32 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:03,120 Speaker 1: ore with a high level of carbon about one and 33 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 1: additional trace elements. According to study published in the Journal 34 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 1: of Electronic Materials, the ingots or cakes of steel from 35 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 1: what's now India were sent to the city of Damascus 36 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:17,239 Speaker 1: in what's now Syria, where they were made into swords. 37 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:21,360 Speaker 1: These also had beautiful surface patterns and were lauded for 38 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:26,239 Speaker 1: their superior physical ability. In the early centuries of Damascus steel, 39 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 1: its most common use was for weapons, which accounts for 40 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:32,520 Speaker 1: why it was surprized. Swords were difficult to make because 41 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 1: they're long and slender, the best steel was required to 42 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:40,959 Speaker 1: make them stable and flexible. Early Damascus steel solved a 43 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:44,839 Speaker 1: similar problem encountered in making long guns too, considering their 44 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:49,360 Speaker 1: narrow long shapes. By the sixteen hundreds, pattern welded Damascus 45 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 1: steel was used to make gun barrels in what's now Turkey. 46 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:55,239 Speaker 1: The practice spread through Europe and was popular in the 47 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 1: British Isles during the eighteen hundreds, but in the early 48 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 1: nineteen hundreds productions stop when the Belgium city of Liege, 49 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:04,440 Speaker 1: which had produced eight hundred and fifty tons worth of 50 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 1: Damascus barrels, fell to the invading German army in World 51 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 1: War One. Although Damascus steel was named after the Syrian city, 52 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:16,680 Speaker 1: it was most likely developed in several locations. Some version 53 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: of Damascus steel has been produced for centuries everywhere from 54 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:24,120 Speaker 1: Indonesia to the Middle East, and Damascus isn't one specific formula. 55 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:28,240 Speaker 1: Your Bellius explained, there are different traditions from different countries 56 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: or different regions. The authors of that study that was 57 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:36,040 Speaker 1: published in the Journal of Electronic Materials noted that both 58 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 1: pattern welded and woods Damascus were being produced by the 59 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 1: sixth century, and not only were weapons made from these 60 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 1: steels lightweight and strong, but they were also said to 61 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 1: stay sharp even after being used in battle. It was 62 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 1: even said that blades made of woots steel could cut 63 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 1: through a silk scarf as it fell. But the formula 64 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 1: for woods damascus has been lost to history. By the 65 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 1: early nineteenth century, it was no longer being produced, possibly 66 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 1: in part because the metalsmiths who made it kept some 67 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:08,760 Speaker 1: of the process secret, and possibly because the special combination 68 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 1: of ores dried up. By the late eighteen hundreds, modern 69 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 1: metallurgy had improved the quality of steel. Even the pattern 70 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 1: welded damascus created at the time became obsolete and got 71 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 1: a bad reputation. Modern refined steel simply worked better than 72 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 1: its forebears, and today the function of Damascus steel plays 73 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 1: second fiddle to its good looks. As modern metallurgy techniques improved, 74 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:39,160 Speaker 1: so have modern versions of Damascus steel. However, modern buyers 75 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 1: still seek out Damascus steel for its appearance. After all, 76 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 1: when it comes to swords and knives, their medieval purposes 77 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 1: are no longer such a factor. R. Bellius said, you've 78 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 1: got esthetics as a byproduct in ancient days. Today we 79 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 1: make similar patterns to what was produced in ancient days, 80 00:04:56,480 --> 00:05:00,720 Speaker 1: but the steel technology has moved so much further. There 81 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 1: are various methods for making Damascus steel today. Some artists 82 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:08,120 Speaker 1: create a limited run of an individually designed piece of steel. 83 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:13,040 Speaker 1: Other steelmakers are interested in higher volume production and repetition 84 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 1: of specific patterns, which they can achieve through processes like 85 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: powder metallurgy, in which you use relatively pure metals that 86 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:23,840 Speaker 1: have been broken down into powder form. This is different 87 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 1: from conventional steelmaking, in which you forge unique solid pieces together. Instead, 88 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:32,279 Speaker 1: you can use powder metallurgy to create a recipe for 89 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 1: a pattern and recreate it as desired. It's still difficult 90 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:40,280 Speaker 1: to work. Some patterns are trade secrets and others are 91 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:44,160 Speaker 1: just difficult to replicate. There are similar patterns that multiple 92 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:47,279 Speaker 1: blacksmiths make, although they might have different names. On the market. 93 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:51,600 Speaker 1: As of the twenty first century, Damascus steelmakers are not 94 00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:56,839 Speaker 1: forging many swords. Nevertheless, the material has wide usage. Because 95 00:05:56,880 --> 00:06:00,040 Speaker 1: it takes more work in craftsmanship to produce damask a 96 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:02,840 Speaker 1: steel comes with a higher price tag than traditional non 97 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:08,120 Speaker 1: patterned steel. You'll find jewelry watches, spoons, belt buckles, razors, flashlights, 98 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:11,800 Speaker 1: and pens made of damascus steel, and, of course, in 99 00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:15,000 Speaker 1: the tradition of its earliest use, damascus steel is still 100 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:18,599 Speaker 1: popular for knives, from pocket knives to high end kitchen knives. 101 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:26,200 Speaker 1: Today's episode was written by Carrie Whitney and produced by 102 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 1: Tyler Clang. For more on this and lots of other 103 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 1: sharp topics, visit how stuffworks dot com. Brain Stuff is 104 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:34,360 Speaker 1: production of iHeart Radio. For more podcasts my heart Radio, 105 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:37,159 Speaker 1: visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 106 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:38,480 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.