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Originally Posted by S.Al-Anizi
Interesting information, I never heard a horseshoe for a sword, wouldnt it be too soft? Lets wait and see what Jim has to say about this  |
That was my first reaction. Horseshoes are soft iron, they're made that way on purpose. It's one of the reasons circus strongmen could do the old stunt of bending and straightening them out. As for the idea that the horseshoes themselves get stronger from being on the horses' hooves, that makes little or no sense. The only way to strengthen the metal is in the forging process, so unless the horses are running around with red-hot shoes, I don't see how that could work.
Now, I suppose there could be some sort of parable or fable about old horseshoes being added to the steel in a sort of sympathetic magic, but that's what it sounds like, and old wive's tale. Perhaps a reversal of the old "beat your swords into plowhares" parable, "beat your horsehoes into blades".
Fenris