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Originally Posted by kisak
Wouldn't any hardening of cold worked iron/steel be far more likely to be due to work hardening than accidental adding of carbon?
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(Sigh) I knew I should have dug out that reference from the metallurgist. I'll post it tomorrow.
As far as I know, you're right and wrong. If you turn a sword into a plowshare and back into a sword, the metal is going to be heating over a high-carbon fire quite a lot. Each time (as I understand it) it absorbs carbon. I'm not sure whether it's absorbing carbon from carbon dioxide in the air, from soot, or from the coals. In any case, steel is an intermediate between pure iron and cast iron, and too much carbon is as bad as too little, if you want a hard, tough edge.
Reforge something often enough, and the metal (supposedly) is relatively useless for a sword or knife.
Work hardening does happen, but it's a different phenomenon.
Best,
F