03-12-2011, 01:54 AM
Mild steel does make a good blade, but there is a wide variation in Roman steel blades. Some are composite blades forge-welded. These guys really knew how to make a sword. But on average, yes, I would say a properly crafted blade made from mild steel (20 carbon) or any steel with a carbon content below 50 should do the trick. The EN45 steel commonly used is easily available, is a spring steel with a corbon content well over 50 which is good for a blade (depending on your standards) and does make a fine blade if properly tempered. Failing that, it becomes too brittle. I believe that to be happening with Indian blades. A blade can be tested by applying increasing pressure halfway up the blade. It should bend moderatly easy and then spring back.
For those who lack the coal fire, a blowtorch may also be used to reduce brittleness, but keep the flame in constant motion to heat the blade as evenly as possible. Mind you, this is a rather hash measure, you need a lot of experience to judge the colour of the blade when drawing a temper, so likely as not, annealing the blade will be the outcome. You can try heating the blade to below its critical temperature to begin with, it will not turn red but will become blue. Allow it to cool and test the "springyness" again to judge the result. If it bends and stays bent, you have seriously overcooked it. If it is still too hard, repeat the treatment. If you have overcooked it, straighten the blade after getting it red hot, quench in a barrel of water deep enough to take the whole blade(that makes it really hard again) and repeat the proces, this time applying less heat.
If you want a really good blade to whack things with, drop Matthew a line, he is a far, far better blacksmith in swords then I am and takes much pride in making excellent stuff.
For those who lack the coal fire, a blowtorch may also be used to reduce brittleness, but keep the flame in constant motion to heat the blade as evenly as possible. Mind you, this is a rather hash measure, you need a lot of experience to judge the colour of the blade when drawing a temper, so likely as not, annealing the blade will be the outcome. You can try heating the blade to below its critical temperature to begin with, it will not turn red but will become blue. Allow it to cool and test the "springyness" again to judge the result. If it bends and stays bent, you have seriously overcooked it. If it is still too hard, repeat the treatment. If you have overcooked it, straighten the blade after getting it red hot, quench in a barrel of water deep enough to take the whole blade(that makes it really hard again) and repeat the proces, this time applying less heat.
If you want a really good blade to whack things with, drop Matthew a line, he is a far, far better blacksmith in swords then I am and takes much pride in making excellent stuff.
