Editing Pattern welding (section)

{{short description|Swordmaking technique}}
[[File:Pattern Welded Sword Blade by Ejvind Nørgård.jpg|thumb|414x414px|A contemporary pattern-welded sword blade made by Danish swordsmith Ejvind Nørgård. The blade shows a chevron pattern with opposing twists and straight laminate alternating.]]
'''Pattern welding''' is a practice in [[sword]] and [[knife]] making by forming a blade of several [[metal]] pieces of differing composition that are [[forge welding|forge-welded]] together and twisted and manipulated to form a pattern.{{sfn|Birch|2013|pages=127–134}} Often called [[Damascus steel]], blades [[forge]]d in this manner often display bands of slightly different patterning along their entire length. These bands can be highlighted for cosmetic purposes by proper polishing or [[acid]] [[industrial etching|etching]]. Pattern welding was an outgrowth of [[laminated steel blade|laminated or piled steel]], a similar technique used to combine steels of different [[carbon]] contents, providing a desired mix of hardness and toughness.  Although modern [[steelmaking]] processes negate the need to blend different steels,{{sfn|Verhoeven|2002|page=357}} pattern welded steel is still used by custom knifemakers for the cosmetic effects it produces.