| Abstract Scope |
Bladesmithing in the 20th and 21st century has drastically changed compared to historical bladesmithing. The elimination of uncertainty in modern materials has driven the evolution of metal fabrication, removing the need for techniques such as pattern welding. Pattern welding, which traditionally was used to combat impure stock material, is no longer required, and has become outdated and disused outside of the niche of historical smithing. It is possible, however, to mix modern materials with traditional techniques to form artistic yet practical works. Supported by quantitative analytics, these works benefit from improved mechanical properties without abandoning authentic, traditional character. Aiming to combine the traditional with the modern, a broad quantitative look at both modern materials and historical bladesmithing materials was conducted. This analysis used in conjunction with the TMS 2022 winning sword to determine the best route forward to manufacture a historically steeped modern blade for the 2024 TMS bladesmithing competition. |