So says the guy who lives in Canada!!That's one shivering cold cabin he is working out of (forgive me - I'm a warm blooded creature and enjoy my ++degrees)!!
I was reading somewhere (it was in a reading comprehension test for some business school!!) that the reason why a lot of handicrafts have gone out, is also the democratisation of society. Earlier, there were royal / noble families who had everything they could wish for, and hence indulged their fancies in exotic hand crafted stuff which took ages to make. I remember the author using Damascus (or wootz) steel and Faberge Easter eggs as examples. The most exquisite Easter eggs were made for some prince or princess of some European Royal family or the other. Similarly, wootz was also patronised by the royalty and nobility of India and abroad. People who had time and money to wait and pay for something exquisitely hand crafted. You didn't pick up a wootz sword "off the shelf", neither a Faberge egg (I hope I remember the name right!).
In some countries / societies / times, the religious chaps took over the patronage of artists. Think the stupendous temples of India, or Michelangelo and his ilk painting the Sistine Chapel and other stuff (my knowledge is limited to Dan Brown, anyway).
What happens today?
1. Wider "spread" of money: a huge burgeoning middle class, or what can be called nouveau riche. We want the stuff kings and nawabs had, but we have neither to time nor the patience to pay for wootz (and some would say, neither the culture to appreciate that kinda stuff). So we go for mass-produced items, which are but poor imitations. We want that damn thing NOW! Imagine the Pope commissioning Michelangelo - he probably didn't even know whether he (the Pope) himself would be alive till the piece was finished! Some of the great temples in India have been made through generations of Kings. How many people will today start to make a, say house, which his grandchildren will probably enjoy??
2. Technological advancements: we may not have wootz, but automated processes and better ways of refining huge masses of steel has given us a way to sort of "bridge the gap" between wootz and what was "normal" in those days. So, we get "good enough" quality, and not having the patience to wait for no. 1 quality, we are satisfied.
3. Shift in the way the "rich" make their "riches": Earlier, the rich, aka kings and maharajas and nawabs and lords and so on, made their riches by taking it away from someone else. You are small enough, you fight yourself, you grow big, you send someone else to fight for you. The more you fight, the more you gain. Hence you need good tools to fight with, aka Damascus sword, or hand-made muskets, etc. As you use others (read, one Mr. Tommy Atkins) to fight, you need mass-produced weapons of "good enough" quality, hence the Tower Musket, Baker Rifle and subsequent developments.
Today's rajas fight with the laptop and smartphone. It's not about "killing power" but "processing power"! So you have the iPhones and stuff like that. And although we fight a lot more than what the old timers used to, it is fought by professionals, while the guys who start the war sit comfortably in their Wall Street (or whatever) offices.
An oversimplified statement, I know, but what I believe is/was generally true.
4. Democratisation leading to mass culture: Look at our TV shows or music. Those of us who were alive 30, 40 years ago can trace the decline in quality of movies, music, TV shows over time. If we can see a significant decline over a few decades, what will be impact over a few centuries? Same with other aspects of culture, fine swords being only a part.
5. The Industrial Revolution: When the spinning jenny was invented, when James Watt harnessed the power of steam, they collectively rung the death knell for handiwork. Thousands of silk weavers in India, cutlery makers in England, Scandinavian wood workers, literally starved, or were forced to take up new occupations. From a respected master craftsman to a mere factory worker.
So, how can we bring back wootz? Simple, just like many people have brought back wood sculpture - doing it as a hobby! If you have the legal permissions, space, material availability, etc. etc.. one can try to recreate the past for one's own enjoyment.
Commercially available wootz? Seems a very far cry now. We have come too far into the future!
