True Combat Value of Wootz

[tsubame1]

Originally Posted by S.Al-Anizi

Some say that the japanese werent bright enough to know how to harden, then temper their blades, thus differential heat treatment was their way to go.I wouldnt want a sword thats easily bent in battle.

If harden = to make an hard cutting edge and temper = relief the stresses with a subsequent (softer) heating, well japaneses where well aware and able to make both, even in older times. It's a matter of Schools. Somes applied tempering, some not. TOGETHER with differential hardening.

Originally Posted by S.Al-Anizi

I wouldnt want a sword thats easily bent in battle.

Samurai too. I wonder why the heck they used the same type of technology
for almost 1000 years being such blades so prone to bending...