There are many traditional swordsmith families in Udaipur, most claiming to have ancestors who forged blades for the Maharajas of old. Santosh Handicrafts belongs to one such family, and the images above are from their forge.
The smith takes a bundle of steel plates, eleven high-tensile between a pair of mild steel, and heats them in an earthen furnace fanned by an ancient diesel stationary engine. The smith then beats the bundle out with an automatic hammer powered by the same engine. The piece is folded into thirds twice, then in half once to create the blank which is then shaped into a sword or knife. The resultant finish has the appearance of Damascus steel.
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