First, nice job. Pattern welded blades go way back, but would be rare to non-existent as to being done in early America, or even ever seen by most. Even in Europe they would have been for the affluent classes of people. Shear steel was made in a similar manor, but is not quite the same, as it was made by folding and welding blister steel, and never etched to show a pattern. Even if etched the pattern would be faint in shear steel, as it was produced from basically all the same type steel. While pattern welded steel, "Damascus", never stopped being made in Europe, it wasn't until the late 1960's, early 1970's, that is was made here. Bill Moran was credited with re-discovering the "secret" of making Damascus, but it was no secret in Europe. Just still a rarity, and expensive.
