[Harold Ward]

I assume that you are referencing shotgun barrels made of Damascus vs. modern steel, and agree that modern steel formulas are far superior in both composition and processes used. Damascus nowadays is constructed for it's beauty , not for its functionality in modern steel work .What I was referring to was when it was first created, centuries ago when swords were made of either soft metal which would not hold an edge well , and hard steel which held a great edge but was extremely brittle. The innovation came with the discovery of the Bloomery or Reen furnace. This enabled early smiths to forge the 2 together and create a sword with the best of both, a somewhat soft blade with a hardened edge for sharpness, to put this in perspective , this was the second step up from the bronze age.