old steel vs. newer steels

[manassas dragon]

just curious. anybody know of any testing done on old(1830's steels app)
like used in better quality knives and swords. curious about how hard the
blades are/were.

 

[manassas dragon]

what about straight razors or swords of the three musketeers?

 

[Steinerj]

I doubt anyone with antique weapons would want a testing dimple in them

 

[LRB]

Chuck Burrows, Wild Rose Trading Co., did some testing, or knows of testing done on early blades. If I remember right, most were in the 40's Rc, with maybe a few in the low 50's, and some in the 30's. Making steel pre-Bessemer, was a lot of guessing and hoping as to carbon content. It was not an exact process, or at the least, not an exact result.