Carbon treating sword blades
Carbon treating sword blades
(OP)
My materials engineering friend and I were having a conversation about carbon treating sword blades. I had recalled that one of my professors said that in medieval times sword makers would plunge hot sword blades into pigs so that the fat would carbon treat the metal. My friend didn't think there would be enough time for the carbon to migrate into the metal and that the purpose was to merely rapidly quench the blade.
Anybody else heard this or did I misunderstand my professor during his lecture.
Anybody else heard this or did I misunderstand my professor during his lecture.





RE: Carbon treating sword blades
The organic quench might offset some of the surface decarburization that would otherwise occur.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Carbon treating sword blades
Does plunging a glowing sword blank into a live pig seem vaguely barbaric?
Not sure where you are in the world but the History Channel showed an interesting series on some of the skilled craftsmen from history. The swordmaking one is repeated soon:
http://
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Sometimes I only open my mouth to swap feet...
RE: Carbon treating sword blades
Although, of course, it can still be eaten, but that is not a great way to kill a pig for eating.
I'd guess it was just an urban legend, although I suppose somebody, some time, would have tried it.
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Carbon treating sword blades
Any credible documentation on the "pig quenching" method out there?
RE: Carbon treating sword blades
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Carbon treating sword blades
What better way to provide a controlled temperature of the quenching medium would be available to a medieval armorer?
Costly consumables are accepted as part of the cost of making first class arms even today.
Of course "pig quenching" sounds barbaric.
So does "pig roasting".
I ate roast pig at Christmas.
I'm sure the pig was none too pleased.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Carbon treating sword blades
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Carbon treating sword blades
But the objective of the exercise is quenching the sword, not butchering the pig. The pig would be discarded as process waste.
I'm sure the peasants would redirect the armorer's waste stream, clean and dress the remainder of the pig, and roast it properly.
And if a Public Health Official jumped out of a time machine and had a problem with that, they'd clean, dress and roast him, too. No sense in wasting all that protein.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Carbon treating sword blades
RE: Carbon treating sword blades
For the sake of pigs, politicians and lawyers for tempering hot swords is better to deep them into quench oil.
Cheers
Luis
RE: Carbon treating sword blades
On the subject of Pig Roasts, can I refer you to MARINE GUIDANCE NOTE MGN 222 (M+F)
I assume these to be the aquatic breed of pigs and are the victims of modern fishing methods. I guess they are best cooked and eaten when caught.
JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com
RE: Carbon treating sword blades
RE: Carbon treating sword blades
I saw something on TV about japanese swords being heat treated this way.
A lot of historical claims like this can be worked out by looking at the logistics. Something like ten percent of Japan's population were samauri. You figure that each one needs more than one sword, that means they expend a lot of slaves, very likely, more than were available.
JHG
RE: Carbon treating sword blades
Your teacher was from the South of US.
wasn´t he?
Cheers
Luis
RE: Carbon treating sword blades
On a side note, barbaric acts in medieval times?!?! It can't be...!
:D
RE: Carbon treating sword blades
Dik
RE: Carbon treating sword blades
luis
RE: Carbon treating sword blades
RE: Carbon treating sword blades
RE: Carbon treating sword blades
Cheers
Luis
RE: Carbon treating sword blades
Regards,
RE: Carbon treating sword blades
RE: Carbon treating sword blades
RE: Carbon treating sword blades
After Forming,core Drawing out, Fitting the blades, Packing the edge, swords were subjected to tempering, Filing and grinding
Tempering
· Now the blade is tempered—transformed from soft, workable metal into a hard blade. The smith holds the blade over a fire that may be a long fire built specially to fit swords. The difficulty is in getting an even heat all along the length of the metal. When every part is glowing an even color, the smith quenches the blade in a vat of oil or brine. For this first quenching, the blade is placed in the vat with the blade held flat, parallel to the liquid's surface. After it cools, the smith cleans off the metal scale that collects on the blade's surface. Then, the smith heats the sword again, in a slightly different way. The smith heats a long iron bar to orange-red, and lays the sword on it. When the sword heats to a blue or purple color, the smith lifts it with tongs and quenches it again, this time edge down (perpendicular to the first quenching).
Filing and grinding
· The blade is next polished with a series of fine files. The edges are ground sharp on a grindstone, a rotating wheel of textured stone.
Decorating
Many blades were elaborately decorated with inlaid patterns. Usually the sword was sent to a jeweler for this step. The jeweler engraved a pattern on the metal, and then often etched it out with acid."
Cheers
luis
RE: Carbon treating sword blades
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RE: Carbon treating sword blades