born sparkling damask
of soft iron, hard steel.
and stronger sword becomes a hundred times,
and on the blade - patterned spiral.
( Alexander Simonov, "Damascus sword" )
Hailing from a fairy tale
Everyone knows that fairy tale - this is not just an interesting story that you can take the kids, but also a storehouse of wisdom weaves sly pattern with historical events and legends.
in the tale of mighty heroes and noble knights often encountered such a term as "Damascus armor."The strongest and bravest heroes made their feats of arms of damask steel.What kind of metal is this?How is it so good?Why so expensive cost, and was so valuable?And in general, Damascus armor - what is it?Armor, shield, visor? Maybe this metal - secret development sunk into oblivion blacksmiths, an experiment of aliens, or a gift from above?
there nowadays and appreciated there as in ancient times, Damascus armor?Meaning of the word "damask", the origin and use of this metal is described in this article.We will reveal all the secrets of a truly fabulous steel, which is actually quite real.
Weapons celebrated heroes
Damascus armor - it is the old name of bladed weapons.And it is not armor as it may seem at first glance.For comparison, analogues of the word "reservation" in the Polish language Sister (bron) and Czech (zbrane) mean it is a weapon of steel, such as damask sword, a sword, a knife, a dagger or a sword.
Such well-known fairy-tale characters as heroes Ilya Muromets and Dobrynya, King Arthur and the Svyatogor, had invincible weapon of damask steel, whereby considered invincible warriors.Meaning of the word "damask" is simple - it is hardened steel.
The mystery of the cosmos
mystery of ancient Damascus steel lies in the distant past, and more precisely in 1421, when the Earth near the Russian city of Yaroslavl iron meteorite fell.A huge piece of metal which has fallen from the sky, was considered a gift from the gods and spend only unique weapon.Access to the extraterrestrial metal had a few famous blacksmiths, and blades and knives of Damascus steel forged for the elite soldiers.
Legendary unique
swords forged from a conventional iron, scrap and bend 2-3 after the first shock, the damask last forever.They can be easily cut through the iron shield or rip the enemy armor.It is also surprising that, despite his incredible strength, damask blades were very resilient and bent at 90-120 degrees without losing its integrity.Thus, a simple cold arms of the enemy in battle, if not tupilos, it shatters into pieces like broken glass, while Damascus armor remained intact and sharp.According to the legend, the sword of damask given as much gold as weighed the blade, and it weighed a lot!
Fairy metal
Despite the fact that the meteorite was great, and the smiths are extremely frugal, unique metal stocks are exhausted.Damascus armor eventually turned into a legendary weapon of the past, thanks to which it was won many great victories.Information about the miraculous weapon passed from mouth to mouth, from old to young.
Since then many years have passed, but the heroic armor Damascus, the value of which over the years only to elevate, not give people peace of mind.Patterned blades forged from steel, sung in epics, myths, legends.Here are just a few examples, as in the fairy tales mentioned Bulat and armor from it:
- book about Vladimir Red Sun is one of the warriors, armor gleaming damask, fighting the "enemy of the Damned";
- in "The Tale of Tsar Saltan", written by Pushkin, merchants, in addition to gold and silver brought damask;
- Ivan the peasant's son wins unknown Miracle Yudo, snesya his head damask sword;
- in the fairy tale about the adventures of a resourceful tramp Aladdin poison scare travelers and Bulat;
- brother Ivan, ispivshy water from puddles and a converted into a kid, Sister Alyonushka calls for help saying: "The knives are being sharpened, want to slaughter me ...";
- Finley-hunter in the fairy tale fairy godmother warns that it wants to kill damask sharp sword;
- in the book "Enchanted Forest Mistress" the main character in search of Velimir Wicked Witch of Damascus steel sword cuts your way through the branches and thickets;
- great and mighty warrior Eruslan Lazarevic cuts damask sword insidious snake head.
addition to old tales and legends, modern poetry and prose often the phrase "Damascus armor."The meaning is invaluable in the literature, respectively, thanks to modern authors damask exists today.That's contemporaries, whose efforts saved the knowledge of Severing Arms:
- Victor Prishchepenko ("And armed with exceedingly").
- Andrew Shabel'nikov ("Sword damask brave Teuton").
- Sergey Semenov ("Riding the Dragon").
- Ninel Koshkin ("Shadow Does your place?").
- Sergei Stepanov ("Rage Normans").
Treasure India
first artificially created damask learned to do in India.Then the secret of the production of high-strength metal slipped to Iran and Central Asia.However, in those parts of damask steel, the characteristics of which surpassed all expectations, is called differently.In India it was "VTC", and in Asia, and Iran - "Farand", "Taban", "Khorasan".
Persian scholar and lexicographer Al Biruni, who lived in the Middle Ages and owned knowledge in almost all scientific fields at the time, wrote a treatise about Bulat.It is preserved in the archives of the ancient to the present day.Al Biruni wrote: "Damascus armor is obtained by melting the two substances, which melt unevenly and are not mixed together until uniform. The result is a two-colored blades, which are valued extremely highly."
Damascus armor is easily recognizable by the characteristic pattern patterned.It is obtained by crystallization of carbon and is a kind of badge of such products.In addition, the blades of damask steel was incredibly sharp.For example, they are easily ripped scarf thrown over the edge of the gas from the finest fabrics.
Skill Damascus smiths
Most damask armor made in Damascus, Syria.Damascus steel billets in Syria were brought from India and Damascus smiths had forged a great, fantastic weapons.Daggers, sabers and swords were worth more than gold and is a symbol of wealth and prosperity.
price of Indian damask grew exponentially.And by Syrian craftsmen komponovaniya different types of steel and forging created multiple welded Bulat, who to this day is called Damascus steel, and very much appreciated.
Once Syria was captured by one of the commanders of Khan Togluk - Tamerlane, he brought from the conquered countries of blacksmiths and placed them in Samarkand.However, in captivity masters worked very badly.And over time, blacksmithing decayed.The descendants of Syrian artists spread all over the world, and a method of making Damascus steel and armor from it was finally abandoned.
the footsteps of ancient merchants
There is evidence that steel is very similar to the damask, were made in Japan.Blades, imported from that country shall have the same flexibility and durability, as weapons from outer material.
In expanding trade routes of eastern metal, as well as swords, daggers and knives of Damascus steel were in Russia.In historical sources there are indications that the Russian smiths bought the material for the manufacture of weapons is very expensive.
Damascus armor, the value of which was unusually high in those countries, which led East trade, very appreciated in England.This is evidenced by posts English Royal Academy, dated 1795 and preserved to this day.They describe the events associated with the purchase of bullion bladed steel research.
However, the secret of making the miracle metal kept a closely guarded.This is not surprising: after all, in ancient times was not yet chemical laboratories and analyzes to derive a formula for the ideal Damascus steel was impossible.Everything was done by eye, and the approximate proportion and composition were kept a closely guarded secret.Few knew reliably, and how well made Damascus armor.Meaning of the word "damask" nevertheless associated with the best quality arms and led soldiers in awe.
Distribution forgery
Years blacksmiths Europe tried to recreate at least Damascus steel, but failed.They had no choice but to learn how to make a false metal weapon from which outwardly looked like damask, but other qualities did not go to any comparison with the true armor of myths.
in 18-19 th centuries, the production of counterfeit Bulat was widespread in Italy, Germany, Spain, Bulgaria and France.Weapons of it, especially the German and Spanish, was wildly popular because of the beautiful appearance, combine a mirror finish and beautiful patterns.The quality of the false damask armor is poor.Because weapons were made of ordinary carbon steel of poor quality.
Recreated from the darkness of centuries
took several centuries before in Russia created a Damascus steel, which in its composition was almost a copy of the Eastern samples.Two-color reproduction of the legendary metal personally engaged mining engineer, scientist and metallurgist, and concurrently, Major-General - Paul Petrovich Anosov.He is a talented Russian, patriot, who grew up on tales of heroes, I was convinced that Damascus armor - it is invincible weapon.
It all started in 1828 when the mining department has instructed the chief of Zlatoust plant (Chelyabinsk region) Anosov reveal the secret of ultra high strength steel and a formula of damask steel.Development and experience, a series of successes and failures lasted more than 10 years.During the study, the researchers first used a microscope to study metals, and also replaced the gilded blades galvanization.
Anosov blended iron ore and graphite, connecting different types of iron, melted metals in air and in vacuum - in a word, was experimenting.
At the end of 1838 Pavel Petrovich still managed to get the patterned steel - cast Bulat, in no way inferior in quality ancient oriental patterns.In 1839, the ingots of metal and products made of it went to an exhibition in St. Petersburg.And already in 1841 Anosov wrote one of his most important works - "On the Bulat," which was nominated for the Demidov Prize.
This umneyshemu person Damascus armor, the value of which was praised in ancient legends, has ceased to be an unattainable dream.
Anosov Bulat
What is the damask, recreated Anosov?By its chemical properties of the metal is different from the increased amount of steel of different carbon content and the parameters were very similar to iron.However, unlike inductile, brittle cast iron and Bulat was more soft and pliable and yet incredibly solid and strong.To obtain a high quality damask, it had to strictly adhere to the production technology.Otherwise, the wrong treatment can turn this strong metal in ordinary steel.After the death of
Anosova secret of making high-quality Damascus steel was lost again.Maybe it's just hidden from prying eyes, or maybe it was the result of negligence.However, after some time to recreate Anosov Bulat intent inventor and metallurgist Dmitry Chernov.
He spent a great variety of experiments by mixing nizkosernoe iron and flake graphite in different proportions.As a result, Chernov received a patterned metal, but found that the forging drawing disappears.The scientist came to the conclusion that the main condition for the creation of armor of damask - choose the right temperature for the forging.Despite the attempts to get the most famous metal he did not succeed.
It's all about molybdenum?
More recently, during the regular excavation it was found the blade of a Japanese Damascus steel, made in the 12th century.Chemical analysis of the weapons revealed one of the secrets of the unique qualities of the material.Scientists discovered in the steel Molybdenum - malleable transition refractory metal, which in its natural form is not found.In the modern arms industry molybdenum long used as a dopant to the different types of steel.This increases the strength and toughness of the weapon.
Hardly ancient Japanese knew of molybdenum.Most likely, iron ore, from which they made weapons, contained a large amount of this chemical element.
The mystery is not solved!
Today modern steel types are far superior damask.Nevertheless, he is still one of the most perfect metal for the manufacture of knives.
If you ask for, you can find a craftsman-blacksmith who is able to forge damask knife.After all, in life there is always a fairy tale ...
pattern blade is always unique,
With others it is not similar, as a person.
Sword warrior - and a friend, and sister ...
In it - the pain of war and peace poetry.
( Alexander Simonov, "Damascus sword" )
