View Single Post
Old 18th October 2006, 01:57 PM   #13
Ann Feuerbach
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 133
Default

HI all,
Will write more when I get back from class...but just a thought...part of crucible steel appeal was that the pattern in Near East islamic cultures is that it represented the "waters of paradise", immortality, afterlife martyrdom etc. What better blade to kill or be killed by? At later times (particularly when firearms were available) the appearance of the blade may have been more important, or just as important as the blades function.
As for performance, one can not give a general statement that they were "good" or "bad" there are SO many variables...composition, phases, how good the blacksmith was etc.
Ann Feuerbach is offline   Reply With Quote