PATTERN FORGED STEEL

09.09.04

There are several ways to write this. Damaschener steel, Damascus or Damasc. I prefer to call it pattern welded or pattern forged.


"Damascus steel is named after Damaskus, one of the original places found where a type of steel was forged that had a pattern or fibre type pattern. In the orient this was created by warming the forging iron with charcoal. It was especially used in the production of the weapon damascenerklinger, and held the properties of being both flexible and yet extremely strong. It is now artificailly produced by the welding of thin iron end steel plates togheter".
Source: Aschehougs konversasjonsleksikon 1940.

Norwegian bladsmiths started to experiment in the mid 1980's with this method. In later times the Swedish have also taked up the challenge. Several different patterns have been developed and the method has been drastically improved.It can be an extremely time consuming operation in making these blades, and can take a complete working day to make just 1 blade. One has also improved the tecnique by use of fifferent steels and nickel has been includes as an important part of the process. It goes without saying that knives with this type blade are expensive, but then each blade is totally unique.

I will now show you some blades that are made in this pattern welded fashion, and that will be used in my production. Blades on their own are not available for sale.

Kent Andersson STAV DAMASK

Kent Andersson is a relativelt new bladesmith making the pattern forged types, but has made three layer blades for many years.

The new comer has worked with his new form of forging and it will be exciting to follow his development.

He is Swedish but has gained his basic knowledge in forging from one of  Norways best smiths.

Arne Skogli TWIST DAMASK

I first met Arne Skogli in August 2004. I liked the shape abd style of his blades and have bought these. He says that he has forged blades for about 15 years.

This is a young smith who we will se a lot of in the years to come.

Robert Mattsson EXPLOSION DAMASK

Robert Mattsson is one of the very good swedish smiths around today. he works with difficult patterns. Expensive blades lead to expensive knives and these will be blades to the "Knife Connoisseur".

Robert Mattsson TWIST DAMASK

Robert Mattsson MOSAIC DAMASK

Erling Edvardsen RANDOM DAMASK

Erling Edvardsen is one of the most stable of smiths. he has a mass of experience and knowledge gained through a long life. He produces fantastic work with a fault free finish. These are not blades for big knives but are designed to be used in small daily utility knives. A clear and strong marking of the pattern on his work is characteristic to him.

THE STORY OF GOLD JEWELLERY FROM "HAITHABU"

The viking times beautiful hanging jewellery in gold.

Hedeby was the Nordic areas first and largest market place in Viking times. The Danish king founded it at the end of the eight century. Its positioning was near to the rocky outcrop where the town of Slesvig would be in later times. The rocky outcrop formed a bridge between Østersjøen and the North Sea.

The market place was protected by the King and was called Haithabu, or the town at the heath.
Hedeby existed at the same time as the Viking age disappeared at the same time. The Norwegian King Harald Hårdråde battled against the Danish King Sven Estridsen, and in  the 11th. century the town of  Hedeby was burnt to the ground by the Norwegian king.

Under modern day excavations there Hededby was found again, in a beachy area but only as a thicklayer of charcoal  and burned earth, which was deemed to be all that remain from the catastrophe. For the last 90 years german archaeologists have dug in the area. Amongst the many finds is a beatifullpiece og gold jewellery. The pattern is intricate and exeptionally pretty, and dates from around 1000  AD. I became inspired to make something in similar vane. The jewellery is  delivered either in oxidized silver or gold plated.
Authority: Kulturens Värld nr. 4 november 1990.

Wooden Pictures in Frames.

Originally this piece of wood was going to be knife shafts, but the fantastic masur pattern.  Tempted me to try something new.  It is not often that one gets chance to see such and exciting piece of wood where nature shows itself to be as wonderful as this.

It was very demanding work to saw out slices of this wood and then to stop them from warping afterwards.

My multi colour technique of wood dying together with the oil treatment changed this piece into a "masur symphony" It is a gift given to us, from nature.

MASUR SYMPHONY nr.1

20.2 x 28.2 cm
Price 2500 NOK

MASUR SYMPHONY nr.3

20.2 x 28.2 cm
Price 2500 NOK

MASUR SYMPHONY nr.5

20.3x 28.3 cm
Price 2500 NOK

RUNE STONES

Rune stones are amongst the oldest source of writing we have in Scandinavia.
Most stones date from around 900 - 1100.  There are around 1700 of them in Sweden, 250 in Denmark, 50 in Norway but none in Iceland.

There are also 50 stones from the time around 400-600 AD.

Many are raised near or on hallowed ground

They are mostly found where they were originally placed, however some are moved to churches and museums.

Some stones have heathen writing or symbols, but they are mostly of the Christian faith. They can have lettering, pictures and ornaments on them too.  Some are simple and others can be seen as pure works of art (source SINTEF MEDIA, Gemini 5/2002)

The picture is a fragment of a cross-found on a Norwegian rune stone that is found at " Kirk Braddan, Isle of Man England.  It is the inspiration behind my bracelet

SEE BRACELET