Deadly beauty

The blade probably is 'Faulad' or Damascus blade, which were considered the best in the world. BUT, but, the second best blades came from Sirohi, Rajasthan. Faulad, (and I am talking of swords here), if hit flat will snap, but if hit on edge, will cut through the horseman through his armour right down to the saddle.

Mughal daggers were noted for their ornamental scabbards, handles and blades often overlaid with gold. My personal favourite is one with a pommel shaped like a goat's head with eyes of onyx eyes and a central ruby set in gold.The hilt is of ennamelled jade.

Damascus steel is a misnomer, the wootz steel was in extensive use in India with the best steel made in India. Only when Arabs and later Turks reached here they took the steel making back. Calling Indian Wootz steel as Damascene is same as referring to the number system as Arab number system. A western centric terminology which uses words for when the west first encountered it.

You are right Satyakam ! Wootz Steel as the Acme of Mankind’s Metallurgical Heritage “Wootz was the first high-quality steel made anywhere in the world. According to reports of travelers to the East, the Damascus swords were made by forging small cakes of steel that were manufactured in Southern India. This steel was called wootz steel. It was more than a thousand years before steel as good was made in the West.” -J. D. Verhoeven and A. Pendray, Muse, 1998 More at: http://materials.iisc.ernet.in/~rangu/text.pdf

Thanks Satyakam for the correct terminology. I had not heard of wootz steel till now, and was always led to believe that it was Damascus Blades and Sirohi blades and the worst kind was of course what is known as Patra in Rajasthan. I stand educated.

My pleasure Pulin, thanks for the kind words.

:)

Where on earth the term Wootz come from? What was the Indian name given in local language? The steel was meant for specific application.... Why did people decorate their weapons with gold and precious stones? In a battle, laife as well as wealth, both would be lost. Or perhaps the decorated weapons were meant only as display items and the weapons for use in battle were different?

Wootz is the corruption of 'ukku'...meaning iron in Kannada. ..."But what is this strange word, wootz? The term was coined, when European travellers from the 17th century onwards came across the making of steel by crucible processes in Southern India in the present day states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Wootz was the anglicization of ‘ukku’, the Kannada word for steel.".... More at: http://materials.iisc.ernet.in/~rangu/text.pdf Why are weapons decorated ?...well, the answer might lie in 'why we buy Rolex watches?'

If watches could kill!

They can give you a hear-attack...if you see the prices of some of these watches ! : ) http://www.mostexpensivewatch.net/

RBSI: It is difficult to imagine Wootz to be anglicised version of the word ukku unless we are missing something. Phonetically they are so dissimilar!

Utterly beautiful! perhaps my "kshatriya" genes get charged up after watching these gemmed dagger or 'katyar' (in marathi)...:))

RBSI: In an interesting aside, I quote from (Chapter 2) the book on metallurgy published by Indian Institute of Science: Gold is for the Mistress - silver for the maid Copper for the craftsman cunning at his trade "Good" said the Baron, sitting in the hall But Iron - Cold Iron - is master of them all. ------Rudyard Kipling I think I will check Hobson_Jobson also for Wootz!

I would not doubt it Shekar. For instance... Krishna would be called as Kitta in Kannada and Telugu homes.

I am just trying to find the connection. Wootz is an anglicised version. How does it come about from Ukku?