hi, yes, several folks make damascus steel knives using folded metal process. i dont know of anyone looking for them with a md, mostly they are in antique shops here (usa).
i first learned about this type of blade with Kris swords
from Java. in rare cases, the nickel rich metal came from an iron meteorite (see excerpt below). probably be difficult/expensive to determine if a partcular sword used meteorite metal, maybe trace element signature? not sure how that might be altered by forging.
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kris kreis sword
The three required metals (as a minimum) for manufacturing a kris blade were as follows:
Iron for the bulk of the blade.
Steel for the sharp edges.
Pamor (nickel steel) for the patterns on the blade surface.
Some blades were made of up to 10 types of iron from various origins, obviously for increasing the magic power of the kris.
The pamor (meaning alloy in malay language) designates both the nickel steel used for the kris manufacturing, and the type of damascene (silvery patterns from the nickel steel) on the blade. As previously indicated, the use of pamor for manufacturing kris blades was introduced in the 14th century or earlier, and was quickly generalized. However, some blades have no apparent pamor especially in Sumatra, as will be detailed in the next chapters.
Originally and probably also later, the pamor (nickel steel alloy) was mainly originating from the Luwu district in South Sulawesi, and it was called pamor Luwu. The iron ore used for producing the pamor Luwu was quite lean in nickel content (less than 1% in the alloy), yielding a pamor pattern with a low contrast on the blade. The pamor Luwu continued to be traded as a raw material for manufacturing kris blades until approximately 1935.
In 1749, a meteor fell close to the Hindu temple of Prambanan located near Yogyakarta and Solo in Centre Java. This meteor was found to be a rich nickel ore (more than 5% according to recent analyses), and starting from the 18th century the first blades containing Prambanan pamor were manufactured. Because of the high nickel content, the pattern obtained on the blades was much more contrasted than on blades using pamor Luwu, and the pamor Prambanan was accordingly very appreciated. Moreover, its celestial origin was deemed to reinforce the magic and sacred power of the kris made from it, and the fame of these meteor krisses became legendary. Actually, and considering the relatively small size of the meteor (of which a remaining chip is displayed at the Solo kraton and considered as sacred), it is impossible that a large quantity of krisses could be manufactured with Prambanan pamor.
According to most indonesian experts, the meteoric ore (rich in nickel and titanium) was used for manufacturing kris blades since the origin of the kris, but this assertion is disputed as there is no clear evidence of the presence of other meteors in Indonesia.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, the main source of pamor used for making kris blades has been imported nickel steel, including recycled bicycle parts!
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