Shadow Forge is a site devoted to the forging of damascus (patternwelded) steels. The forge welding (Laminating) of different grades of steel produces the pattern through careful manipulation of the billet at temperatures exceeding 1300 degrees. The Site will cover all of the main basic patterns, Including Ladder damascus, w pattern damascus, , twist pattern damascus,. In the future there will also be sections devoted to wootz steel smelting and processing, Stainless steel damascus for blades, knives and other edged tools, jewelery and artistic pieces. Based in Manchester, UK I forge all of my own blades. I am also the managing director of Massey Forging Limited, and the sole UK and Ireland importer and distributor of Anyang Power hammers. More information can be found on www.masseyforging.com and www.anyang.co.uk. . Some of my ramblings and thoughts on edged tools and the machinery necessary for their manufacture can be seen on www.britishblades.com

Over the coming months I will also be adding tutorials to Shadow Forge on Patternwelding, Power hammer use for forging damascus, Forge Building ( Gas forges, Venturi and Blown ) Designs for efficient venturi forge burners, as well as a gallery of my own work, and showcasing some of the finest damascus being forged around the world.

At the present time I am not offering any work for sale directly to the public, as my forge work is primarily for fun! , In the future I will be accepting commisions as time allows.

I hope you will revist the site to see how it progresses, and see my first stumbles into making a website, good , bad or ugly :)

Best Regards, John Nicholson