This kard blade was forged from my own wootz steel, in this case a formula with a higher phosphorus content that is more in line with many Persian blades; most Indian blades had very low phosphorus content, which is part of why the patterns from the two regions can look quite different. Because phosphorus can cause brittleness in steel I have used a traditional heat treating method that yields a blade that is very tough but not as hard. In this case the edge hardness is roughly 50hrc. The testing I have done on phosphorus-wootz blades heat treated in this fashion has shown them to have somewhat lower edge retention, but they are practically indestructible. It is possible that this toughness would not hold up at low temperatures since phosphorus also affects “cold-embrittlement”; I have not tested this aspect so can’t be certain.

This blade has been left with a reinforced tip, meaning it has an excellent mix of a long slicing edge coupled with a strong point. It is not currently sharpened, but can be delivered sharpened if desired. The price includes shipping within the USA.

Blade Length: 180mm

Blade Width: 39mm

Blade Thickness: 4.2mm