Bronze and Steel

[Tim Bond]

Alright...

The issues I think I have are with era and technology.
O.K. first they used copper and that sucked.
They went to bronze and did well with that for some time.
I think this is how they divide up:

Bronze: moderate strength. very heavy.

Iron: moderate stregth. heavy.

Steel: moderate to very high strength. medium weight.
Many variations - damascus, japanese all change this.

Anyone know exactly how well a bronze sword would hold up
against iron and even steel blades - do they just break?

Thank you...

 

[Winters_Sorrow]

Well, bit of a layman myself so if anyone else know's more/better feel free to jump in (where's Tsujigiri when you need him )

The main problem with bronze weaponry wasn't the fact it broke, but that it was easily warped or bent out of shape, even when facing other bronze equipment!

Iron kept it's shape better and is more durable, but is actually more prone to breakage than bronze (in terms of bronze will bend rather than snap off most of the time)

 

[Tenalpia]

Biggest problem with iron - it rusts! That is why steel was so prized - not bendy, not rusty, can make a very sharp blade... I am a serious lay man myself so that's as far as my limited knowledge goes, I'm afraid !

 

[dreamwalker]

as far as laymen goes, those there some pretty good answers!

 

[Tim Bond]

thank you.

so...bronze bends, iron rusted and tended to actually break -
steel of course was cool if made right.

thought a little about making a fantasy or a sci-fi that goes back - this will help. also - i think bronze was the heaviest, iron almost as heavy but not quite and steel was about as light as you could get - depending on composition.

in an iron age - do you think there could exist some overlap? like some isolated smiths know to add tin and produce steel - and using this secret possess 'magical iron'. or maybe during a bronze-age an isolated smith producing iron or steel weapons? it might help if they were like in tribes and did not sell the secret off to the highest bidder.

sharpness depended on both materials and composite pattern (bars twisted together, damascus, multiple folds - like the japanese ect...) from the technique used in the manufacture by the smith - i think.

 

[Winters_Sorrow]

If you're doing a piece of work like this, research is always the key.

Hope this helps a little
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_age

As I recall from my chemistry class, steel is created by adding coal/charcoal to the smelting process and removing carbon dioxide from the iron mix to make steel.

You could probably get away with a bronze age tribe 'inventing' iron manufacture, but don't go overboard and have japanese-style smelting processes. After all, the Iron Age began approx 1500-2000 BC and the Japanese weren't doing their spring-steel until approx 900 AD