Sword of Saladin

[golok]

A colleague was telling me that the famous sword of the greater conqueror Saladin the Great could cut silk as well as iron as if both were made of the same material.

I know this is a far-fetched tale but the story did arouse my curiosity. I don't know what that kind of a sword looks like.

I imagine it must be one of those long swords with a swept-up curve.

Anybody who has a better knowledge of history wishes to enlighten me about the famous sword of Saladin. Maybe even throw in a picture of the sword or a sketch.



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Make Love your strongest weapon. Compassion your shield and forgiveness your armour.

 

[GarethB]

I've heard something similar, but the story I heard occoured during the second(?) crusade, lead by king Richard the first of England. There was a truce and Richard met a high ranking saracen (possibly Saladin, but I can't remember exactly). As a demonstration, Richard cut an iron bar in half with his sword, and the saracen cut in half a piece if silk tossed in the air with his sword.

Both versions may be based on the same original story, but I don't know which version is closest to the truth. The finest saracen blades were made of damascus and European legends of the strength and durability of damascus swords appear to have originated from the crusades.

A very fine and sharp edge would be needed to cut silk like that, but such a sharp edge would not stay sharp if abused by cutting iron bars. The edge may not simply become blunted, it may chip or crack badly and would very diffucult to repair.

There is a parallel relating to the myths surrounding the sharpness of Japanese swords.
Japanese swords are supposed to posess legendary sharpness and toughness, but I've read that before the Tokugawa shoguns, swords were not as highly sharpened because of the risk of damage to a fine edge when striking hard armour. The Tokugawa shoguns effectivly stabilised much of the civil warfare that had occoured in Japan, and combined with the introduction of guns to Japan by Europeans, the use of armour fell into decline. Since the chance of facing an armoured opponant was much smaller, swords became more highly sharpened to be more effective against unarmoured opponants.

 

[Triton]

I'd say you were dead on when calling it a "far fetched tale." If you start chopping iron bars with any sword you aren't going to have much of a sword for very long. It seems like that story may have originated in one of those victorian knightly romances although I can't remember the author right now.

 

[Ken Cook]

On the other hand, if the blade were so dull that you couldn't hack your way through a silk hankie, it could be said that your sword cuts iron equally as well as it cuts silk.
(not at all!)

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Tráceme no sin la razón, envoltura mi no sin honor
Usual Suspect

 

[Triton]

A very good point Ken and one I hadn't though of!