The Secret to Busse Heat Treatment and Nitrogen Revealed
A little halloween season history, horror and humor..
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/29/science/the-mystery-of-damascus-steel-appears-solved.html
This interesting article from the New York Times explains the quest of Stanford metallurgists to recreate ancient high performance steel. It makes reference to several ancient heat treatments and quenching techniques that could, in theory, help explain the Busse performance advantage. This Halloween season, it got me wondering, why do they run a "closed shop" with no tours or videos? Bwahahaha (scary ghost laugh)
Homicidal quenching:
Writings found in Asia Minor said that to temper a Damascus sword the blade must be heated until it glows like the sun rising in the desert. It then should be cooled to the color of royal purple and plunged into the body of a muscular slave so that his strength would be transferred to the sword.
In the ancient accounts there is more than one reference to such homicidal quenching. In a recent interview, Dr. Nickel pointed out that while many of the quenching techniques were based on superstition, they may have contributed to the success of the process, as by adding nitrogen to the alloy.
(We all know early Infi had added Nitrogen content. Do not pass out at the blade or knob creek parties. Rumor has it passing out is otherwise know as volunteering among the Busse staff.)
(captain obvious disclaimer here - there are better ways to add nitrogen- this is for history and humor, no violence please)
Cooling by horse:
A less abrupt form of cooling, according to one account, was achieved when the blade, still red hot, was 'carried in a furious gallop by a horseman on a fast horse.''
(Garth likes horses right? This may be why the custom shop is 2yrs. behind; the horses get tired after 2 or 3 cooling cycles.)
Hog Urine:
Some medieval smiths recommended quenching in the urine from a 'three-year-old goat fed only ferns for three days.''
(Jerry may have modified this practice to incorporate hog urine fed only scotch for 3 days, and it is possibly why he encourages heavy drinking among the staff. A constant supply of quenching medium is needed.)
A little halloween season history, horror and humor..
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/29/science/the-mystery-of-damascus-steel-appears-solved.html
This interesting article from the New York Times explains the quest of Stanford metallurgists to recreate ancient high performance steel. It makes reference to several ancient heat treatments and quenching techniques that could, in theory, help explain the Busse performance advantage. This Halloween season, it got me wondering, why do they run a "closed shop" with no tours or videos? Bwahahaha (scary ghost laugh)
Homicidal quenching:
Writings found in Asia Minor said that to temper a Damascus sword the blade must be heated until it glows like the sun rising in the desert. It then should be cooled to the color of royal purple and plunged into the body of a muscular slave so that his strength would be transferred to the sword.
In the ancient accounts there is more than one reference to such homicidal quenching. In a recent interview, Dr. Nickel pointed out that while many of the quenching techniques were based on superstition, they may have contributed to the success of the process, as by adding nitrogen to the alloy.
(We all know early Infi had added Nitrogen content. Do not pass out at the blade or knob creek parties. Rumor has it passing out is otherwise know as volunteering among the Busse staff.)
(captain obvious disclaimer here - there are better ways to add nitrogen- this is for history and humor, no violence please)
Cooling by horse:
A less abrupt form of cooling, according to one account, was achieved when the blade, still red hot, was 'carried in a furious gallop by a horseman on a fast horse.''
(Garth likes horses right? This may be why the custom shop is 2yrs. behind; the horses get tired after 2 or 3 cooling cycles.)
Hog Urine:
Some medieval smiths recommended quenching in the urine from a 'three-year-old goat fed only ferns for three days.''
(Jerry may have modified this practice to incorporate hog urine fed only scotch for 3 days, and it is possibly why he encourages heavy drinking among the staff. A constant supply of quenching medium is needed.)
