Steels weapons and armors are made from different steel types. Each type of steel has its own properties. Another thing to keep in mind when purchasing a weapon or steel armor is the hardness of the steel.
Hardness
The hardness of steel (tempering) is expressed in HRC or Rockwell hardness. The harder the steel, the more durable it is. If you want to use a battle-ready sword for training and live combat, we recommend a hardness of at least 48 HRC and preferably between 50-52 HRC.
Steel Types
Steel consists of different components. Depending on the exact mixture of powder steel and alloying elements, the steel will have different properties. Steel also undergoes a heat treatment, which will also influence the final properties of the steel.
The following steel types are most commonly used in weapons and armoring.
EN45 spring steel
Spring steel is a form of carbon steel, but with added alloying elements. It has high structural strength and resistance to deformation. However, as it is still a type of carbon steel, it is susceptible to rust. Spring steel is often used for training swords and swords used in live combat.
9260 hardened spring steel
This spring steel is very similar to the EN45 spring steel. 9260 hardened spring steel is highly flexible, making it a good material for rapiers, small swords, and large, curved swords. This type of steel is slightly more resistant to corrosion than other types of carbon steel.
1045/1065/1095 carbon steel
Carbon steel is an affordable yet high-quality type of steel widely used for swords. It is a relatively soft steel, making it easy to resharpen, but surprisingly strong when properly tempered and hardened. Of these three grades, 1045 is the lowest and 1095 is the highest quality. The biggest drawback is that carbon steel rusts quite easily and therefore requires regular maintenance.
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