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Message: <blockquote data-quote="A'koss" data-source="post: 156527" data-attributes="member: 840">The Vikings were on the "bleeding" edge of sword forging in Europe. They started making pattern-welded blades as early as 300 AD and high quality pattern-welded blades in 500 AD. This continued right through to about the late 900s (with some unbelievably cunning stuff - twisted core, hard edged, soft bodied stuff) when eventually high quality steel could be made no longer requiring forge folding to pound out impurities. That is, after all, why everyone from the Celts to the Japanese made pattern-welded blades. You pound out the impurities (slag) and break up deposits of carbon and distribute them evenly throughout the blade so as to eliminate any weakspots. Of course you could just as easily introduce new problems with pattern-welding with weld gaps, etc... There is a lot more to that that, but that should suffice for now.Now as to the hardness and durability of a sword you first have to determine what you are hitting with it. Are you going after armored opponents? Then you want a "tougher", rather than "harder" blade with a crossection designed to penetrate armor (flat diamond for instance). The Japanese made very hard, but unfortunately very (relatively speaking) brittle blades. No post quench stress relief and poor steel didn't help, but they had marvellous workarounds and made the best of it that they could... Very good for low to no armored opponents. Very poor against mail and better armor. A lot of that is in the blade profile and how it is weilded too - slicing cuts (katanas) are excellent for flesh, poor for armor (what is was *designed* for). A shearing cut is what you want for armor penetration and Euro blades are better for that.  It's all a matter of trade-offs. Viking blades were made "tough", that is, much less likely to break or chip but didn't keep an edge as well. But you would want this kind of blade if you were going after a guy in mail armor.Some links to explore: <a href="http://members.ttlc.net/~tyrell/Viking4.htm" target="_blank">http://members.ttlc.net/~tyrell/Viking4.htm</a><a href="http://www.accucom.net/medsword/serpent2.html" target="_blank">http://www.accucom.net/medsword/serpent2.html</a><a href="http://www.vikingsword.com/virtmus.html#anchor328425" target="_blank">http://www.vikingsword.com/virtmus.html#anchor328425</a><a href="http://swordforum.com/swords/historical/makingofmedswds.html" target="_blank">http://swordforum.com/swords/historical/makingofmedswds.html</a>Hope this helps.A'koss "sword nut"</blockquote>

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