Amazing pugio blade

[caiusbeerquitius]

The other one has been x-rayed as well, the results are in the article I quoted above (Auerberg)
See here:

[Wander]

Wow, that's a very complex construction! Now I'm getting curious about the metallurgical composition of the different layers -- what was iron, what was steel, what carbon content, hardness, etc? Do you know what those curved lines on the central core represent?

The sandwich of the outer edge looks like some Japanese constructions; the inner layers remind me of the Viking or Anglo-Saxon types. That is a masterwork of the bladesmith's art, even by modern standards.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

But that would be impossible of course!
It is a well known fact that the Romans were only capable of very limited
metalurgical processing....... :roll:

Sorry I'll behave now.

Yes that is an amazing collection of techniques in one dagger blade.
I belive some of the gladii were also more complicated than simple crude
mono stock blades.

[caiusbeerquitius]

I belive some of the gladii were also more complicated than simple crude
mono stock blades.

In fact, looking at Miks, it seems that there are only a small number of blades of mono-steel. Even the very cheap swords have at least the edges welded on in a high-quality steel. No wonder, since this is the case on every Roman kitchen knive, so why shouldn´t they do this with the swords as well... :roll:

The table shows the hardness of the section of the blade (as shown above and below), highest value is 505 right at the edge.

[Crispvs]

(Bump) This thread was far too good to be so deeply buried.

Crispvs

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Thanks for the bump Crispus, it had slipped from my brain cell.

[Magnus]

I wonder if instead of forge-welding harder steel to the edges of a gladius blade, if you could use a higher carbon stock, then differentially harden the edges, similar to japanese blades...

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Quite possibly, but the Japanese also used the soft core, harder edge technique too.
I imagine the ancients were as familair with a variety of techniques much as the Japanese were/are.