Fleming College

Forging - Damascus Steel Construction

Course Code: ARTS2630

This course is the epitome of artistic expression through steelmaking. You will start with a 10-15 layer stack of alternating steel, offering excellent contrast when etched in acid. You will physically pull the steel lengthwise and flatten it then cut and fold it, until you reach a count between 200-400 layers. The pattern you create will be a visual fingerprint of your day in the forge. Every swirl, every bend, every mark is because of your hammer and sweat. It's a snapshot of your life in that time and place for people to admire for hundreds of years if forged correctly. A labour-intensive process, between the forging scale and grinding, it is typical for a 50% loss in material from where you started. Metal work experience required.