This question has stuck in my head for days, so I thought I’d finally ask the Teeming Millions.
It stands to reason that bronze blades dominated the upper tier of weaponry during the Bronze Age. I also know that copper weapons weren’t uncommon. But what about brass, another alloy of copper? Is it too brittle, or difficult to forge, or what? I mean, it makes good letter openers…
Brass is more decorative and easier to cast. By the time Brass was discovered/invented, though, iron was the metal of choice for weapons.
Can brass keep an edge? Somewhere I picked up the idea that brass was considered a soft metal.
Brass is very soft. I work in an injection molding facility, and all of our technician and tool repair guys carry brass tools. If they accidently hit a critical surface with the brass tool it will deform before it scratches the steel mold.
The “bronze age” should really be called the “copper alloy age”, though not as catchy. both copper- tin and copper-zinc were used in ancient times and are all now incorrectly called “bronzes”.
Brass just isn’t hard or durable enough to compete with steel. Any sharp edge would be dented or rolled over too easily.
yeah, but we know that the bronze age means crappy really soft, corrosion prone metal…
While copper alloys would be an entry in the dictionary and people assume it could include brass, for example.
Thanks, everyone! My knowledge of metallurgy stops pretty much at the definition of the word, but I couldn’t find the answer on Google. I appreciate it.
If I had to choose between a blade made of brass or lead, brass would win, but only because it’s prettier.
They are also non-sparking, and therefore considered “intrinsically safe” for use in ATEX (explosive) environments.
But lead could poison him even if you didn’t manage to kill him.
Only if you dissolve the lead blade in acid and make your victim eat it. Much faster to roll the blade into tube and use it as a blunt instrument, (in the Library).
Come to think of it, in Clue they really should have been able to narrow it down to either “blunt object” or “any specific one of the non-bludgeoning weapons” pretty easily. Especially the rope.