Steel variation

[Aaron Beck]

There existed many variations in iron composition both in terms of content and carbon depending on the ore and or smelting process. I think your guess is a good one. There was also carburized iron which was variously referred to as shear steel or blister steel. The iron would spark but would still pickle to show grain structure. I made some iron/blister steel damascus but couldnt get good contrast. At the time, I thought it because i was doing something wrong but later decided it was that the two materials had very similar (too similar) composition. You also could have a situation where a bar was over worked and you had carbon migration for steel to iron which would effectively make blister steel as part of the welding process.

[Drew Hause]

Thanks for alerting me to this thread Bruce.
I'm working on enhancing the images and figuring out the scrolls (Steve Culver hates that description but Dr. Gaddy used it so I'm in good company ), the rod to rod 'zipper' welds, and the straighter ribband edge welds.

I'm afraid there was no descriptive name for that pattern other than 'it's a bit of a mess'
The twisting of the rods after they were machine rolled & welded determines the size and symmetry of the scrolls, and the hammer welding of the twisted rods and then the ribband edges also contributes to the appearance and symmetry of the scrolls. I'm afraid the fella was having a bad day.
The be fair to Parker Bros. the 'rough forged tubes' were paired at the tube maker's, then wired together and shipped about 50 in a barrel. And the pattern is very difficult to discern rough forged.

I am of the opinion, but could be wrong, that the rough forged tubes Parker used for Lifters were primarily sourced in England based on a few examples still with Birmingham provisional proof marks, and top lever guns had tubes almost exclusively from Belgium, which IMHO were aesthetically more pleasing, but not stronger.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...YvzD18i3c/edit

More than anyone probably wants to know here about the iron and steel used for pattern welded barrels, and as Aaron said there was a great deal of variation; over time, the iron, charcoal or coke sources, and the forging technique
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...m8-_AQPiA/edit

IN GENERAL the iron was wrought iron and the steel low carbon.

IN GENERAL with coloring the iron remained silver/white and the steel blue/black, but that is complicated also. Lots of information here, with helpful comments by Steve Culver
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...g51u_SnEM/edit

I'll be back, hopefully with some visual aids