Beskad A beskad was a traditional Mandalorian saber , primarily forged from nearly indestructible " beskar " iron . Comprised of a single - edged blade with a leather - bound hilt , the " beskad " was weighty and incredibly resilient , capable of delivering powerful blows with each swing . Designed to batter down an enemy ' s defenses , " beskade " were favored weapons of the ancient Mandalorian warriors , though the use of the iron blade spanned millennia . Description . Based on the design of ancient Taung sabers , " beskade " were traditionally single - edged , curved swords that tapered upward to a sharp point , featuring a hilt with a protective crossguard and pommel . Typically possessed of a flat blade , forty - five centimeters in length and between five and six centimeters in width , a " beskad " weighed approximately two kilograms or more in total . " Beskade " could be made of durasteel , but were more commonly forged from Mandalorian " beskar " iron , a nearly indestructible ore found only on the planet Mandalore and its orbiting moon , Concordia , both located at the heart of Mandalorian space . During the creation of a " beskad " , the metal used to forge the blade would be heated until it glowed red - hot , and shaped into a workable bar . A metalsmith would then strike and repeatedly fold the metal — traditionally with a hammer and tongs — layering the material again and again for increased strength , before finally cooling the finished blade in liquid ; the rough sword edge would later be honed to a razor sharpness , and the hilt bound in leather . Due to the weight and overall shape of a " beskad " , wielding the Mandalorian saber traditionally required a single - handed grip . Those unfamiliar with the weapon were known to compare the " beskad " to an agricultural or undergrowth clearing tool , such as a machete , or a well - balanced warhammer . Accordingly , " beskade " were often used to batter through enemies ' defenses by using the heftiness of the blade to overcome an opponent . The traditional Mandalorian style of fighting with a " beskad " capitalized on the full body protection offered by a warrior ' s armor to move in close to an enemy without fear of injury , often inside their reach in order to deprive them of maneuverability or the ability to parry , and subsequently hammer away at them . A heavy swing from a " beskad " was capable of embedding the blade in both armor and bone , and a " beskar " - forged saber was even capable of stopping a lightsaber . History . The ancient Taung , the progenitors of the Mandalorian culture , were a religiously zealous people who viewed close - quarters combat as a warrior ' s highest calling . In battle , they relied heavily on " beskade " , usually wielded in combination with a " kal " dagger in their off hand . The legacy of the ancient warriors ' use of " beskade " and " kale " led to Mandalorian armor pieces worn on a soldier ' s right side to be referred to as the " beskad " plates , counter to the left - side plates which were referred to as the " kal " plates . In the years prior to the Cold War between the resurgent Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic , the Mandalorian warrior Jicoln Cadera owned a " beskad " . Cadera ' s saber differed significantly from the norm , being possessed of three blades arranged in a triangular formation , with a crossguard adorned with fanged skulls meant to represent felled warriors , and a pommel in the shape of a sculpted Krayt dragon , symbolizing the hunger for war and destruction prized by Mandalorians of the era . Millennia later , the Mandalorian soldier Walon Vau came into possession of a " beskad " . Shortly after the opening battle of the galaxy - spanning Clone Wars , Vau made use of his " beskad " in a duel with one of the Republic ' s clone commandos whom he had trained prior to the war ' s outbreak . In an effort to emotionally harden the clone soldier — known by the nickname of Atin — in the wake of his recently developed survivor ' s guilt , Vau fought and eventually severely wounded the other man with his " beskad " , leaving a number of scars . In 21 BBY , another commando who had trained under Vau , Sev of Delta Squad , jokingly mused about getting a " beskad " of his own . By the year 24 ABY , the veteran Mandalorian soldier Goran Beviin owned an ancient " beskad " , considered by that time to be an antique . When confronted for his possession of a pair of illegal Mandalorian crushgaunts by his contemporary , Briika Jeban , Beviin insisted that he enjoyed both his crushgaunts and " beskad " for their antiquarian value . However , during a confrontation on New Holgha in the early days of the Yuuzhan Vong War , Beviin used his " beskad " in combat with a Yuuzhan Vong subaltern , ultimately killing the extra - galactic invader with his crushgaunts . Beviin continued to carry the " beskar " iron saber for years after , killing a number of Yuuzhan Vong warriors with the blade outside of Bralsin , during their attack on Mandalore . Beviin ' s husband , Medrit Vasur , was a skilled Mandalorian metalsmith , capable of forging tempered " beskade " from raw " beskar " in his workshop on their family ' s farm . In 41 ABY , Beviin taught Jedi Knight Jaina Solo to use a " beskad " during the course of her training on Mandalore in alternate combat techniques . Solo later put this training to use in battle against her Sith Lord brother , Darth Caedus , using a " beskad " to remove one of his arms . Behind the scenes . An iron Mandalorian saber was first mentioned in the novel " " , written by author Karen Traviss and published February 28 , 2006 . Later that same year , Traviss introduced the saber fully in her e - novella " " , providing the " beskad " name as well as a general appearance for the weapon . A " beskad " was later mentioned in Traviss ' subsequent entry in the " Republic Commando " novel series , " " , and the weapon appeared again in two of Traviss ' contributions to the multi - author " Legacy of the Force " series , " " and " " , as well as Troy Denning ' s conclusion to the series , " " .