Hand-forged damascus
Damascus steel was a term used by several Western cultures from the Medieval period onward to describe a type of steel created in India and used in sword making from about 300 BC to 1700 AD. These swords were characterized by distinctive patterns of banding and mottling reminiscent of flowing water. Such blades were reputed to be not only tough and resistant to shattering, but capable of being honed to a sharp and resilient edge. William Henry's damascus is made from several types of steel welded together to form a billet.
The patterns vary depending on how the damascus artist works the billet. The billet is drawn out and folded until the desired number of layers are formed. William Henry damascus billets are forged with a minimum of 300 layers. William Henry works with a handful of the very best damascus artists/forgers in the U.S.
Fordite
Fordite, also called Motor Agate or Detroit Agate, is an entirely man-made jewel created by scraping layers of the enamel paint slag that had been dripped into pools onto the metal tracks during the “old days” when Ford and other assembly-line cars were spray-painted by people, not robots. Our Fordite is sourced from the Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge plant.
The colors and patterns of Fordite can vary dramatically, and no 2 pieces are ever the same.
Etched damascus
This material obtained by immersing a traditional damascus billet it in an acid solution. The process creates a striking visual contrast by enhancing the components that are more susceptible to the etching of the acid.
