Greg writes :

>Blister steel was then turned into shear steel by wrapping blister steel
>bars up in a bundle and then heating them again before forging the bundle.
>The heat and the action of the forge hammer welded the rods together as they
>were hammered to the size required. This shear steel was used to make
>razors, files, knives, swords and the other steel items for which Sheffield
>became famous.

Would it be safe to say that this steel was also used for making 
shears ?  I know a lot of Sheffield toolmakers made shears for the
wool industry.

Or does the name refer to some part of the manufacturing process ?

Paul Pedersen     
Montreal (Quebec)