Got a Real World Weapons or Armour Question? Mk XI

[Clistenes]

Eh, "Europeans" had it before 'vikings' or 'muslims' were even being talked about. Pattern welding was found in La Tene ('Celtic') and Roman context, among others.

After the fall of Empire, it became prevalent in whole Germanic world, so among "Vikings" (sea riders/merchants from Scandinavia, but not only) as well. Among other people as well, if due to Roman influence, or from other sources is pretty impossible to tell.

Generally any blade or tool made in 'Dark Ages' small, local smithy will be pattern welded, because it would be only way to receive bigger billet of iron/steel from man small bits of iron of different carbonization level and so on.

The trick of "quality" was obviously in details, arrangement, design, plan of this process.

OK. I think we, the people in the forum are mixing different things:

There are several methods to get strong steel that leave welding patterns in the steel.

The iron age La Tene people used several methods to strenghen their blades, but those were largely lost before the fall of the Roman Empire. The germanic tribes in the borders of the Empire still created them.

The vikings twisted several high-carbon steel and iron bars like a rope and welded and forged them together. This method fell out of use at the end of the viking era.

The japanese folded a sheet of steel many times and combined a very hardened edge with a softer and more flexible back and sides in their blades.

The indians used crucible steel, and combined a soft core with an outer hardened layer. This is the method that went from India to Persia to Damascus to Europe.

The medieval european weapons with welding patterns are derived either from viking/germanic techniques (earlier ones) or from the indian ones that arrived to Europe through the muslim world (later ones).