Jean-louis Regel

[hso]

An amazing bladesmith I was fortunate to meet a few years ago. He's showing at the Blade Show Texas.


https://www.facebook.com/jeanlouis....X38g_pjEUELHeEItFbythldlvz7jNPsQ&__tn__=-UC*F

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Wow! Really beautiful!

 

[Slamfire]

It is just amazing the patterns those knife smiths put into their damascus blades. I really think modern damascus billet makers have exceeded those of the past. And some modern damascus steel makers, imitate the processes and technology of the past. But no one, that I am aware of, starts with steels as primitive as what the ancient smiths had to use. .

ANCIENT REGIONAL STEEL QUALITY: HISTORICAL METHODS OF STEEL PRODUCTION AROUND THE WORLD

https://web.wpi.edu/academics/me/IMDC/IQP Website/reports/1516/steel.pdf

 

[hso]

But no one, that I am aware of, starts with steels as primitive as what the ancient smiths had to use. .

au contraire mon frère

I carry a piece of tamahagane I helped smelt at a hammer-in at Larry Harley's 20 years ago. The bulk of the graded steels was forged and folded into a billet and then hot cut into 3 pieces big enough to make a 10" blade each (or 2 smaller ones). The dozen smiths then drew lots for the billets. Each one then had the opportunity to forge the blade that weekend or take it home. Only one elected to go straight back to the forge while the rest of us fetched and toted and watched as he forged an 11" tanto.
I have a huge sword that the smith made the tamahagane himself, forged the billet, the blade, and then finished it to field state ... all without power tools. Another western style knife was started as iron ore by the smith. He did use a power hammer.

But, yes, few ever make the steel themselves from ore or sands. Fewer do it more than once. Fewer do it regularly. I've been fortunate enough to be present twice with smiths who did it regularly and were demonstrating the method, the grading, the matching, and forging to produce a billet of cutlery steel.

 

[Slamfire]

au contraire mon frère

But, yes, few ever make the steel themselves from ore or sands. Fewer do it more than once. Fewer do it regularly. I've been fortunate enough to be present twice with smiths who did it regularly and were demonstrating the method, the grading, the matching, and forging to produce a billet of cutlery steel.

No doubt all the smiths were curious about just how the old timers actually did it. And once they did it themselves, found it was a lot of work, and making steel was not as much fun as beating on it.

Kind of like that 2000 mile road trip to the Grand Canyon. Everyone was eager to see the Grand Canyon, chattered all the time about how much fun they were having. And then they were there. The car pulled up to the first scenic view pull over,. Everyone got out, the driver and passengers looked over the rim, saw the wondrous view. And everyone agreed, lets go home now.

 

[hso]

No doubt all the smiths were curious about just how the old timers actually did it. And once they did it themselves, found it was a lot of work, and making steel was not as much fun as beating on it.

Kinda, but not quite. Bladesmiths generally are all highly curious people. They're always trying to learn how to do what they don't know and fascinated in the origins of the craft. Mad scientists with hammers. They all delight learning and doing smelting, grading, forging billets but it isn't a practical way to get steel and only the few who are deeply interested spend the time to make and demonstrate the making of steel on such a small scale. We spent over 18 hours making that small batch of tamahagane under the watchful eye of an expert at it. Most smiths simply aren't going to spend the time when modern steels are superior anyway.

I've been fortunate enough to be present twice with smiths who did it regularly and were demonstrating the method, the grading, the matching, and forging to produce a billet of cutlery steel.

Those are just two of scores that do it regularly, but scores of bladesmiths are a small minority.

Perhaps we're agreeing, sorta.