Question About Roman Metal-Working

gothicangel · Mar 30, 2014

Don't know if anyone can help (suspect that I might have to track down a specialist). In my new WIP, I need a fault in my sword-forging that would cause a legion to reject the sword (historically documented that Jewish ironmongers where producing substandard weapons, which the Tenth legion rejected, and later reworked and used in the Revolt.)

Any ideas?

waylander · Mar 30, 2014

Poor quality iron ore, resulting in silicon inclusions so the blade breaks the first time you hit something with it.

Sonsofthepharaohs · Mar 30, 2014

I hear that adding too much carbon during the smelting process made the iron brittle, so it would break on impact.

Pretty much what waylander said

gothicangel · Mar 30, 2014

Thanks.

ULTRAGOTHA · Mar 30, 2014

Do you know about anvilfire.com? Bunch of blacksmiths and historical reenactors on that site.

gothicangel · Mar 30, 2014

[SIZE=2 said:
ULTRAGOTHA[/SIZE];8788081]Do you know about anvilfire.com? Bunch of blacksmiths and historical reenactors on that site.

Thanks!

Diomedes · Apr 30, 2014

There's a line is Sophocles' Ajax between lines 646 and 692, where a sword tempered in water instead of oil is sort-of compared. I can't remember which, but the inference is that one of those weakens the sword. Sophocles' father was a blacksmith, so he would know.

Question About Roman Metal-Working

gothicangel

Toughen up.

waylander

Who's going for a beer?

Sonsofthepharaohs

Still writing the ancient Egyptian tetralogy

gothicangel

Toughen up.

ULTRAGOTHA

Merovingian Superhero

gothicangel

Toughen up.

Diomedes