TheokinsJ
Troubadour
I suppose this is a very specific question, but I was wondering the other day about how to quench steel, as in, what do you use? I'd like to think I know a bit about swords and smithing and all that- but I've heard mixed opinions about how you can quench a blade. I know that most modern blacksmiths use oil, and water is the next best thing after that... but I was wondering what about snow?
I looked back on an earlier draft of my WIP and found a scene where a blacksmith quenches a sword is snow- and I've heard conflicting opinions about whether that is an appropriate blacksmithing technique- I've heard some people say that snow is too cold and that the burning hot metal might crack- that the quenching liquid/solution must be room-temperature. So, just looking to clear up, is snow too cold for quenching an iron-hot blade, or was it a legitimate technique used by blacksmiths?
I looked back on an earlier draft of my WIP and found a scene where a blacksmith quenches a sword is snow- and I've heard conflicting opinions about whether that is an appropriate blacksmithing technique- I've heard some people say that snow is too cold and that the burning hot metal might crack- that the quenching liquid/solution must be room-temperature. So, just looking to clear up, is snow too cold for quenching an iron-hot blade, or was it a legitimate technique used by blacksmiths?