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It was, yes. Today, many knife makers (including the parent comment) make pattern-welded steel by alternating high/low carbon steel. It's not traditional damascus or wootz. It looks beautiful, but it's not "real" damascus.

Here's a link where folks have 'rediscovered' how to make real wootz/damascus. It's the most academically rigorous attempt I'm aware of, and I'd call it a success:

https://craftsmanship.net/the-wootz-hunter/

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Crucible steel techniques were always carefully guarded and never "public", but never really "lost". This stuff popped up regularly through history in various cultures, the Wootz smelters in south India were, I believe, still in operation when European colonizers were able to document the process. And by the mid 19th century it was fairly well understood by modern metallurgy.

It's just hard to do and requires a giant furnace. The folded stuff modern hobbyists are making looks almost the same and can be done in a propane forge.

As far as I understand, the interesting qualities of Damascus steel, beyond the patterning, are flexibility and the ability to stay sharp. AFAIK the "rediscovered" Damascus steel demonstrates both, if properly made, so it should be close enough to the historical prototype.

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