Metallurgy and Roman swords

[Flavivs Aetivs]

If there is something we can accept, what is not historical, it is something we can't skip, like steel. Romans had used iron. Their "steel" was mostly side effect or forging. Spathas had had less than 1% carbon. Now, who's gonna find iron plate or ingot today? No one. That's why swords, armors and other stuff are made from steel, not carbonized iron and this is acceptable. But bracers, pressed helmets, not even slighlest knowledge about what are you doing is unacceptable imo.

This is wrong. Metallurgical analysis shows that by the late Republic and early imperial period almost all Roman swords were medium and/or high-carbon steel. Modern steel is the wrong steel composition, but the Romans were using steel.

See "Study of the Metallography of some Roman Swords" and "Metallographic Examinations of some Roman Republican Weapons from the hoard of Grad near Smihel."