Use of wrought iron for cladding

[Barmoley]

A question mostly for blacksmiths, but anyone feel free to throw out your thoughts. Many western makers use wrought iron for cladding in san mai construction, what is the main reason? Is it availability or that it looks cool as it patinas and has layers and interesting features when polished, any other reasons to use it instead of mild steel, other type of iron, etc?

 

[valgard]

It looks cool and has some history. From what I've heard from some bladesmiths it's actually harder to work with/more prone to failure due to the dirty nature of it. If there's any other benefits (I can think of it being actually nice on stones for example), I'm almost certain these are secondary to the figure and history (aka cool factor).

 

[RDalman]

+1 Carlos got it pretty good imo. It's softer to forge, but likes to mushroom out over the edges then also. For me it feels like a cladding similar to damascus, but with the added history cool factor.

 

[Barmoley]

Thanks Robin, the coolness factor I figured, was curious if there is anything else. Sounds like mostly cool look and cool history.

 

[RDalman]

Thanks Robin, the coolness factor I figured, was curious if there is anything else. Sounds like mostly cool look and cool history.

Here's a little "how it was made"

 

[HRC_64]

Thanks Robin, the coolness factor I figured, was curious if there is anything else. Sounds like mostly cool look and cool history.

"Wrought" in this context means malleable, which to some extent is the only form of iron that would work...
IIRC its not even made anymore so it tends ot be antique or salvaged by necessity
(not OEM'd by manufacturers at scale)

Also, there is/was/rumered to be also some believe that with sharpening certain types of wrought iron
that form the cladding are faster /easier to shape in the field...maybe some of this is from using jnat
...with modern abrasives i doubt it matters anymore tho.

If you're a western maker...wrought iron is also easier to copy
vs hitatchi steels etc...so, ts marketable in this sense
(there's tons of wrought iron in the west to salvage)

again, this is sort of mixing apples and oranges in reality