Damascus steel

Also known as Damascened steel, is a methodology rather than a type of steel alloy that results in a blend of steels that provide qualities such as strength and malleablity, to exactly the right locations in a blade to optimize its performance and durability.
Several different types of Damascus steel have built a legend of a material that is perfect for the building of swords. The term supposedly refers to the metal used by the artisans and swordsmiths of Damascus, Syria.
Damascus steel began to be produced from the wootz of India between c900 and 1600 in the Middle East, and then disappeared for reasons that are not entirely understood. It is said that when it was first encountered by Europeans during the Crusades it garnered an almost mythical reputation—a Damascus steel blade was said to be able to cut a piece of silk in half as it fell to the ground, as well as being able to chop through normal blades, or even rock, without losing its sharp edge.