Welcome to Windlass Sword Company, UK!

Damascus Steel, The Stuff of Legends

Do you know that Damascus steel had first originated around two thousand years ago. It is also known as Pattern Weld, Damascene or Damast.  Some historians say that Wootz Damascus steel was made in the Middle East around A.D. 540, possibly even earlier. There are several theories on the origin of Damascus steel. It can be traced back to India and Sri Lanka (300-100 BC) where it was referred to as wootz steel. It then found its way to Damascus, Syria, which was the centre of trade in that region for war equipment such as knives, swords and armor. Damascus swords and knives dominated the weapon industry from the Iron Age to the Viking age. DAMASCUS VIKING SWORD French and English armies first faced Damascus steel weapons during the crusades. During the Crusades, the crusaders first faced Damascus steel near Damascus (this is how it got its name, the steel was not necessarily made in Damascus) and were impressed by the remarkable properties of Damascus swords, even going as far to claim they had magical properties. However, Damascus steel had been a lost technology from the early 1700's up until World War II. It again has gained popularity since the mid 1970's. But since the techniques for making these swords have been lost for hundreds of years, no one is sure exactly know why these swords are so exceptional. Today, the term Damascus steel refers to the combination of two different kinds of steels that are welded and forged into a bar or rod with a multitude of layers. One of the most fascinating aspects of modern day sword making, particularly in regards to medieval swords is without question, Damascus steel. Nowadays, Damascus steel blades wielded by many movies, serials like Game of Thrones characters have become synonymous with the show itself, and hardcore fans across the world pay a lot of money to get their hands on replicas of the iconic swords, which each have their own special characteristics and names like Blackfyre, Dark Sister and Long claw. Windlass has produced several Damascus Viking swords over the years. Visit windlasssword.com to get more information.