This version of the Baladay Scimitar has a blade of unsharpened damascus. The crossguard and pommel are of brass and the grip is crafted from polished wood. The sword is designed to balance edge-up when used for bellydancing – we do test each sword for this balance before sending it to you. The accompanying scabbard for this sword is crafted with stiffened, stitched felt. Damascus was once a great center of weapons production and its many talented smiths were renowned for their Damascus Steel swords whose distinct blades had intricate patterns that looked akin to rippling water. Not just for show, the blades were both stronger and more flexible than other blades of the time and they greatly impressed Western merchants who began trading for the weapons in the 3rd-4th century AD. Although the name fixes the steel to the Middle East, the process of damascus actually originated in India. The techniques to create damascus was lost in the mid 18th century, but modern recreations often make damascus by merging two different types of steel into a single blade – this is what gives it the distinct patterning on the blade.