I am going to "cross post" this here, I already posted some of it to the American Damascus thread.
Charles Semmer's "Remington Double Shotguns". He has a chapter, though short, on damascus. Pictures of such items as Boston, Boston SJ, Washington, Ohonon, Chine damascus are all there. I have not gone over every b&w picture in the book, but he identifies a good number of patterns. The Remington Museum has a "Salesman's Rod" with sections of various damascus patterns on it. Each was clearly stamped as to the type / figure.
In that chapter Semmer suggests an interest thing. This is not primary source, but more of reminisce of Del Grego. Del Grego claimed that he remembered old time Remington employees talking about making damascus barrels and what hot work it was. Semmer suggests that Remington was not buying finished or rough tubes, but rather forged damascus billets. He further suggests that they may have had an American source.
Again, none of this is primary source and much is speculation on the part of Semmer, I believe. But it does cause me to think. Were there American sources for such a product? Were the British or Belgians exporting these? If there was a source, it would be almost impossible to trace without company records.
Certainly every American gun maker I have looked at in any depth employed a blacksmith or two. Was this part of their duties, at least in some companies?
Pete
