Page 61 - History of War - Issue 25-16

FORGING THE ULTIMATE BLADE

“ONCE SHARPENED, THE RESULT WAS A
STATEMENT OF INTENT AND AN ANNOUNCEMEN
OF ITS OWNER AS A SUPERIOR WARRIOR–ON

LIKELY TO KILL YOU”

4. ANNEALING
Iron and steel were hammered into a blade shape and then heated until
the metal ceased to be magnetic. This made the metal soft enough
to work easily for shaping. It was essential to heat the blade along its
entire length to get a uniform i nish. The charcoal in the forge needed
to be arranged so that the length of the blade was in maximum contact
with the l ames, to keep all of the blade at the same temperature. The
sword had to be cooled very slowly: either the i re was allowed to cool,
6. TEMPERING
The blade was brittle after hardening, so it had
to be reheated precisely. This was done using
colour – heated metal glows different colours
5. HARDENING depending on its temperature. For tempering, the
The sword was reheated to a dull orange until sword smith heated the blade until the edge was
a straw colour and the centre, where more metal
non-magnetic. It was essential not to overheat
the point and edge, as carbon could easily burn was, a deep purple. The blade was then allowed
to cool slowly, thus allowing some lex back into
out of the steel. Knowing his forge was essential
for the sword smith. The sword was then the blade to ensure it did not snap in use.
quenched in water. A thermal jacket formed
around the blade from the steam, so movement
was essential to allow for a better quench. This 7. COMPLETION
process aligned the crystalline structure in the The blade was now forged, but it looked a sorry state. Dirty and
iron and steel and promoted grain growth. blackened, it had to be cleaned thoroughly. Abrasives were used to scour
away the forge detritus. The blade was polished slowly, using gradually
less coarse media and after a i nal sharpen, it was etched in a caustic
medium to highlight the contrast between iron bands and steel. This
created the result that pattern-welded swords are famous for. The hilt of
a i ne sword was always on display, so jewelled, precious metal hilts with
prestigious materials such as exotic wood or ivory were used. The hilt was
composite and the pommel and guards were adjusted to balance the
blade for its owner. The scabbard was similarly made of i ne wood, bound
in leather and lined with sheepskin. The lanolin in the scabbard’s lining
helped maintain the blade.

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