Have I got it correct on damascus grades???

[Dean Romig]

DD was not the designation of Fine Damascus but rather, Extra Fine Damascus and even Finest Damascus. Per Mark's post DD Damascus barrels are not normally found on Grade 4 and lower.

[Eldon Goddard]

Mr. Hause keep them coming. I wish I could talk to you in person about Damascus steel. I have been trying to model 3 iron Damascus on the computer but takes a lot of head scratching figuring out where the pattern comes from. I believe the swirls result from flattening out the twisted iron rods. I assume that the helix of the twisted rods would turn into swirls when the rods are pounded out flat.

[Drew Hause]

Eldon: after John Blaze abandoned the effort at Parker Bros. c. 1880, to my knowledge no one in the U.S. has made crolle Damascus shotgun barrels until Steve Culver www.culverart.com did so in 2012 . Check out
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...DME9lB0JM/edit

He has been working with computer graphic design programs in the other direction; from the finished barrel back to the lopin, in order to show how the lopin was 'stacked' or 'piled'
See http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/24317402

This is a Parker 3 Iron Bernard II barrel with the end of the ribband segment where it was folded over as it was added to the barrel, and shows the pattern of the lopin