| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2025 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Bladesmithing 2025
|
| Presentation Title |
Making a Modernized Khanda |
| Author(s) |
Minhchau Do, Wyatt Hamilton Hodges, Alexander Taylor Saggi |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Alexander Taylor Saggi |
| Abstract Scope |
The modernized khanda was based on a sword from the Indian Gupta period, forged using modern materials and techniques. A billet of canister Damascus was made by combining scraps of 1095 and 1084 steels and 15N20 powdered steel. Forging involved both hand-hammering and machine assisted methods. After fullering and surface grinding, the blade was heat-treated through normalization, thermal cycling, spheroidal annealing, stress relief, and tempering. After adding the bevel and polishing, the blade was etched, revealing light and dark Damascus patterns. Light regions were noted to have higher concentration of pearlite than ferrite. Greater reflective properties scaling with increased pearlite suggests the presence of nickel from the 15N20 steel. Evidence of spheroids confirmed a successful heat treatment, justifying the use of modern techniques on an ancient blade. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Definite: None Selected |
| Keywords |
Iron and Steel, Characterization, Shaping and Forming |