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denotes the fluid which flows out of it when it is heated. This is called
faulad. Herat is celebrated for its faulad. It is called baydat because of
its appearance. These baydats are elongated and spherical on the lower
side according to the size of their crucibles. It is from these that Indian
and non-Indian swords are forged. Composition-wise, there are two kinds
of iron. One is that the narmahan (soft iron) and its liquid are melted
together in a crucible in such a way that both intermingle in a manner
that one cannot be distinguished from the other, and may be made capable of being made into tools like files, etc. From this it strikes one that
the shabarqan variety is from this kind and in a natural way accepts
dilution. The second kind is that the metal cannot melt properly in the
crucible and thus there may not be full union between the two, with the
colours of both being distinctly visible. This kind is called farand. People
like the swords that have the essence of farand, with green colour glittering on it. Such a sword has wrung considerable praise. Imr al-Qays says:
Propped in such a way by the sharp-edged sword, with passages for
ants to crawl upon his back.
Ibn al-Mu'tazz says:
Flashes appear on both of its edges as if there are light clouds below
the horizon.
And further:
He has the vanquishing sword in his hands in the midst of the army
as if the sword has stripes upon its surface.
Burnished and clean, as if the furbisher has inscribed designs with
jewels upon it.
Abu al Hawl Al-Himayri says:
As if farand and jewels are like flowing water upon both of its
surfaces.
A green shine is preferable in Indian and Yemenite swords, while in the
Mashrafl regions, it is the white colour that is liked. Bahili writes in the
Kitab al-Silah: "By farand are implied the graphic designs at the back of
swords, while barand is that shine which has farand in it. Its hue is of
the opposite kind. By mnshattab is meant the sword that has stripes
running like the ducts that pass through the fields, and are at certain
places elevated and at others depressed".
According to Bahili for a duct to be depressed, this is possible only
when there is one duct. If there is more than one duct obviously the
even duct would be between the depressed ones.
Surayji blades are associated with Surayj which is the name of an
ironsmith. Some have said that the word has its origin in siraj (lamp)
through diminution. But this seems to be an absurd explanation.
The Qala'i blade has association with qala\ whereas the Qasasiyan
sword has an association with Qasas, this being a mountain where there is
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