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Show FINE BLADES OF DAMASCUS ".words Made In the Oriental City Were Moit Wonderfully Temp ered and Adorned. Fancy frills and ornamentation wero not thought of In the hurried forging of weapons called Into need by the brenklng out of tho Civil War. How plain tho usual cavalry sabre was, for Instance. Is well shown by comparison with Iho lavishly ornamented weaponr turned out by tho orlntnl bwoid makers. Tho Turkish sword Is a beau tlful piece of work, tho blade, "damascened" "dam-ascened" with Inlaid wires of gold, be Ing of BRtcnlshlng elasticity. Kach quarter Inch of surfaco of tho gilt scabbard, bundle and hilt In crowdeit with engrnvfd designs, From tho city of Damascus, cole broted for more than a thousand years for the skill of Its swordmakers, the Crusaders took to Europe the art ol 'damascening" a tissue of dark lines on a light ;rontid. or tho revorso and the Inlay lifg of gold on tho steel Itself In tho genuine Dtmepcus blade of the best period tno Iluro. that Is, the In Irlcoto twists made In tho steel while hot under the hammor of the sword smith. Is not, us eomo think, a matter of Ruifaco it extends through tho blado. and honco Is not removed by a tlioiirnnij pollshlngo. These beautiful figures on the genuine blade nro nl most Identical with the best so-called Damascus gun barrels of today |