Jarec Basham wrote:
>
> Haven't really been following this thread so this may have been
> mentioned, but doesn't it mention in Beowulf that the hero 'Beowulf'
> has to stop during the fight to straighten his Bronze sword?
Beowolf was using Strong Iron. I can go and get the staves and quote them but the saga discusses with *loving* detail his iron this and his gold that and his precious silver whatchamithis.... =)
> I think the whole point is that Bronze doesn't snap, it bends. This
> would also mean it would lose its edge quite quickly and become
> little more than a stylish club.
Bronze doesn't keep an edge well either. It makes for lousy ploughs.
> The point I'm trying to make is that I don't think that Gloranthan
> Bronze weapons are necesarily analogous to historic Bronze weapons.
> Most would be hardened in some way, this could be via enchantment or
> simply by the performance of some ritual action that is in fact not
> magical but by its nature has a hardening effect. i.e. the smith says
> a prayer and plunges the hot blade into ground ashes causing the
> blade to case harden or whatever.
>
> Jarec
Probably as chain mail is a well established Gloranthan artifact -- perhaps some alloying happens or, as you say, Hu-metal (am I using the right one this time?) is more maleable and able to keep an edge.
Jeff
"Crucifiction: A cure for bagpipes."
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