Silver glitter of steel, the a stroke of the blade, the unique, not similar to anything on earth, drawing on the surface – it’s white weapon made of damask steel.
Recently a unique museum of damask weapons opened in Kiev, its uniqueness lies in the fact that it is the first and the world’s single museum dedicated to this type of steel weapons.
Damask is a special kind of steel, which is characterized by a unique method of boiling metal, hardness and elasticity. This is the hardest metal in the world that has its original surface pattern. Martial types of knives and knives are produced of this metal. Damask steel can be cast or forged. Cast is called damask, and forged – Damascus steel. Metal quality of a damask type is determined by such parameters: the pattern (size, shape, color), the color of general background, sound, which is heard after the collision, the color of the olive tree in the sun, flexibility (how quickly it takes shape after bending), the possibility of Damascus steel.
The HISTORY OF DAMASCUS WEAPONS:
The Figure of damask steel Damascus steel production is closely connected with the era of metal, which appeared in the second half of the third millennium BC. But the earliest reference and discovery of ancient weapons of Damascus steel dates back to the first millennium BC, in the territory of India. The fame of the exceptionally good, flexible and extremely sharp metal spread throughout the ancient world, after the military campaign of the great Greek king Alexander of Macedonia. Those were the soldiers of his army who estimated strength of this “heavenly” metal for the first time.
It is known that products made of Damascus steel were produced in different colors, e.g. swords were blue or green. The secret of Damascus steel production of India handed down from generation to generation in a narrow circle, and metal smelting was carried out in view of the lunar day and the horoscope. Indian swords could cut the screw and detect any edged weapon, but they bent in half-arc.
Another country where the weapons of Damascus steel were produced, was Syria. Japanese damask had a high sharpness, products of which were able to cut a silk scarf in the air or soaked paper.
In the Middle East the nation halibry mastered metol melting and weapons production. Some scientists believe that the name “damask” comes from the name of the halibry’s country – Puluadi. The records of peoples Biruni include notes on metal products with designs on the blade. In Kievan Rus damask was called blue or red metal.
To recover the lost method of making Damascus steel was a task of a Russian engineer Pavel Petrovich Anosov, who made the attempt to create Damascus steel at the Zlatoust factory since 1828 by a decision of the Mining Office.
After 10 years examples of Damascus weapons and Damascus steel were presented in St.-Petersburg, and in 1841 the scientist got the prize for his work on damask steel.
Today a high metal is almost impossible to find, basically it is a fake or low-grade types of Damascus and the Damascus steel, but if you can find it, it will be very expensive.
ABOUT THE MUSEUM of damask WEAPONS:
The museum has on display to the public over 500 exhibits of handicrafts, most of which are made by craftsmen-gunsmith Vladimir Ostapovich, the only master who was able to recover the secret of making the “celestial Steel” – the Damascus steel.
Damask weapons differ by its purity, hardness, and a peculiar pattern of the steel surface, it had been revered since ancient times.
Among the interesting exhibits are:
– A copy of the swords of Hetman Ivan Mazepa, in the world two of them are saved (in Russia and Canada). Blade of the sword’s made of Damascus steel and decorated by a Zhytomyr master Oleg Kozyar. A Sabre was presented only at the opening of the museum.
– A copy of the sword of King Arthur.
– You can also see the Sword of the second President, akinaks, the Sword of Revolution, knives, made in a single copy.
It is planned that the exhibition of “Romantic damask weapons” will operate until December, after this, perhaps, the exhibition of a unique weapon will be presented in some European countries.
On the basis of the Museum of damask weapons workshops for the manufacture of weapons from the sky steel may be conducted.
Address of the Museum of damask weapons: Kiev, Pukhovskaya street, 4
Address of the exhibition “The Romantic damask Arms”: the Museum of Hetmanship, Kiev, Spasskaya street, 16 b (Metro Kontraktovaya Ploschad)
Hours: 10:30 – 16:00
Getting to the Museum of damask weapons:
From the underground Chernihivska go along Bratislavskaya street to the store “Epicentre”, then turn right and go down the Krainaya street to street Pukhovskaya
Parking in Leipzig – Leipzig parking spots
Parking in Hamburg – Hamburg parking map
Поисковое продвижение интернет магазина