The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-08-19
Finely Tempered Swords.

The art shown in sword making was
not BY ans means confined TO beautiful
forms and elaborate Ornamentaiions. The
greatest skill was exercised in the manu-
tacture and tempering of the blade, which.
in the DAYS when swords were not only worn
bat used. was more important than any
other part of this weapon In Europe, the
sword manufacturers Of Spain first began
to have a reputation for producing work Of
superior quality, and the armorers Of Tole-
do stood formost among their eounfrymen.
A Toledo blade was considered to be
weapon Of grca; value, and, even now,
when we wish TO speak of something re-
markably fine-tempered and sharp, we
compare il to one of these swords. The
pecaliarity Of the Toledo blade was not
only les extreme hardness, which enabled
il 10 receive and retain the sharpest and
most delicate edge, but its elasticity, which
allowed il 70 be bent without being broken
Some of the most famous Of these swords
could be bent 80 that the points touched
hilts. aud yet they would spring back to
perfectly straight line. IL Is said that, IN
Toleda. svorI-blades have been seen in the
cutters shops eoilci in boxes ike watch
springs, and although they might remain
in this Position for some time, they would
bccone perfectly straight when taken out
Other places in Europe were also famous for
producing god swords Many excellent
weapons we've made in Italy. and Andrea
FerTara. the Italian sword maker, was better
known throughout Europe than any other Of
his craft. Topossezs genuine Ferrara blade
was considered great thing by the mobiles
Of France and England,
But il Is the East that the world owes
the production "a the mOss hnely seapered
swords i has ever seen; and the steel Of
Damascus has i,cen celebrated for many
hundred wears - superior % any ether
metal that has ever been n,adc into sword
blades. Even the cutters Of Teledo doubt
lsss owed their skill to the Moors. who
brought from Damascus the art Of Masking
blades that were a. hard as diamonds, as
sharJ, as ranrs, and as elastic a. whalebone.
Wonderful stories are related &C these
/ Damascus swords. We have been told
Z that with ono of them fall-grown sheep
could be cut in half al a single blow.
heavy iron cham could be severed without
tarning the delicate edge Of the swGrd, and
a game yeil floating IN the AIR could be cut
through With one single sweep Of the glit-
teying blade. These wonderful seimitars
L are not manufactured now. but their fame
has exceeded that Of any ether weapon Of
I their kind, and il Is quite certain that their
I extraordinary excellence has not been exag-
gerassi Il IS probable that the workers
in steel Of the present day might be abe
10 discover the peculiar methods by which
the Damascus sleei was made, bat as there
would be little use ar demand for the
blades after they had been produced, it Is
not likely that their manufacture viii be
attempted. We should consider, however,
that although the present age Is pre-erninens
a. an inventive and manufacturing period,
there are some things which have been pro-
duced br shc ancients and the artikeers Of
the middle ages which we Of the present
day have not b7cn able TO equal II pos
sible. therefore, that our steel-workeEs might
never be able to make Damascus blade,
even il they wanted 10.
Some az the swords Of Japan arssaid 70
possess wonderful qualities Of hardness and
sharpness. The story is told that IL one Of
these celebrated blades is held upright in
a running stream the leaves aoating gently
down with the current viii cut themselves
in two when they reach the keen edge of
the sword
But these Japanese swords, soEsssaf which
were held in such high esteem that they
we're worshiped, and temples were built in
their honor, were only hard and sharp;
they had no elasticity, they could not bend
and they might break, and in this respect
they were far inferior 10 the splendid scim-
itars of the Moors aud Saraeens.-.S.
( Nicholas