Damascus steel

For Damascus Twist barrels, see Skelp. For the album of the same name, see Damascus Steel (album). For Operation Damascus Steel, see Rif Dimashq offensive (February–April 2018). For Damascening Work, see Damascening.

Damascus steel (Arabic: فولاذ دمشقي, romanized: fūlāḏ Damašqiyy) is the high-carbon crucible steel of the blades of historical swords forged using the wootz process in the Near East, characterized by distinctive patterns of banding and mottling reminiscent of flowing water, sometimes in a "ladder" or "rose" pattern. Damascus steel was reputed to be tough, resistant to shattering, and capable of being honed to a sharp, resilient edge. This is not to be confused with damascene which is a form of metal inlaying.

Originally, it came from India and Sri Lanka, where the steel-making techniques used were first developed. Arabic adopted the word for steel from pre-New Persian pōlād.

The term "Damascus steel" is rooted in the medieval city of Damascus, perhaps as an early example of branding. However, there is now a general agreement that many of the swords, or at least the steel ingots from which they were forged, were imported from elsewhere.

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