Ancient blades - Live up to the hype?

[SteveG]

Good propaganda to scare an enemy, I’d say, if we’re talking about weapons. I don’t imagine a 2~4 lb sword moving 50~100 mph needs that keen of an edge to cut flesh. For tools, it appears that woodworkers flocked to O1 steel when it became available, and spring steel for saws, so I’d venture to say that those steels were superior to anything that preceded them.