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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cedric" data-source="post: 2217918" data-attributes="member: 2044">Historically, 'cold iron' is a shortening of 'cold wrought iron'. Wrought iron is usually a very low carbon content steel that is worked with a hammer while white hot and shaped with the hammer into the desired form.However, you can work it with a hammer while it is merely warm enough for the iron to begin to flow. It's technically a form of steel, however, the carbon content is so low (< 3%) that you may as well just call it iron. It has enough carbon to change the manner in which it rusts. Instead of rust eating pits in the iron, it usually forms a reddish/brown coating of mottled colors on the surface that are often used in art because they are attractive and give an aged look to an item. True "cold wrought iron" ...while once prevalent, is now only made by specific artists and blacksmiths. It was made by poor smiths in years past because they lacked the resources necessary to make, purchase or pay for time at a forge. Having to work at cooler temperatures required patience and a great deal of strength (a good hammer helped too). This became known as Cold Wrought Iron...There are many theories why creatures of Faerie origin (or sometimes demonic depending on text) are susceptible to Cold Wrought Iron. This goes WAY back in history and is right up there with Silver for werewolves, running water for vampires and the like. My own theory as to why Cold Wrought Iron was thought to harm the Fae is that making something useful and difficult like a sword out of cold iron is a long, laborious, extremely difficult process that requires a very skilled smith. Anything that hard is likely to take on an element of mysiticism to it, as the general populous feel that if its so far beyond their ability, it must be magical. Hence...Cold Wrought Iron became thought of as magical iron...and since the process was so unnatural, creatures that are so uniquely tied to nature as the Fae would be harmed by it. Demons were added much, much later, largely based on the term 'cold'...cause if its cold, demons must not like it, right?Cedric</blockquote>

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