Recently updated on August 30th, 2022 at 03:40 pm
Spain is known for so many things, from picturesque piazzas to the snow-capped Sierra Nevada. And its history, stretching from Phoenicians to General Franco, rears its head everywhere. This is especially true of one of the country’s oldest cities, Toledo, which stands on a rocky mound and is crammed with churches, mosques, shops and artwork. Its greatest glories are the paintings of El Greco and the traditional swords still made in its artisan workshops. Here, we focus on the latter, giving an account of the steel that took the ancient world by storm.
First used by Hannibal in the Punic Wars, Rome quickly cottoned on to the fact that Toledo’s steel was something special (thanks to its high-quality alloy), and it soon became a standard source of weaponry for the legions. In the medieval era, several countries attempted to rival Toledo. Yet Damascus steel proved too hard, and Swedish steel too soft. And so, the greatest blades continued to be forged in this small Spanish city. Think of d’Artagnan and his musketeers, and the rapiers they wielded – most of them were made here.
The world took note, too. When Spanish merchants visited Japan, the locals were amazed at the quality of Toledo’s steel when compared to the samurai blade’s rather brittle metal. Some even returned the favour and visited Toledo to have their katana and wakizashi made by the accomplished blacksmiths of the city. In fact, it’s only since the 20th century that the quality of Toledo’s steel has been matched using modern techniques.
But these are a far cry from the traditional Toledan process, which involved forging two types of steel (in perfect proportions) at a temperature of 800 degrees Celsius. Reciting psalms and prayers that gave the perfect rhythm to each blow, a sword might receive no fewer than 20,000 hits to achieve the perfect tempering. Despite this perfection, the arrival of guns, artillery and other forms of firepower on the battlefield eventually made the swords dated. It was only through the efforts of King Carlos III, who created the ‘Sword Factory’ in Toledo in 1761, that the art of sword-making survived. And one of its first customers was HM Royal Artillery.
However, the Toledan gold standard wasn’t just a hat-tip to historical pedigree. It was attributable to the high standard of tests each blade was put through. From ‘The Cane’ to ‘The Test of Iron’, each hurdle trialled qualities such as ductility and elasticity. Toledan decoration was also peerless. Whether customers desired damascened finishes, gold or silver-plating, enamelling or engraving, their beauty was of a proverbial nature.
If you’d like to see the steel that made Toledo’s name in person, why not watch craftsmen at work when you visit a traditional shop in Toledo by booking here?
Image Credits: Header image of Toledo © iStock/Photitos2016. Blacksmith at work © iStock/JGallone. Toledo Swords © iStock/perseomed. Knight’s armour © iStock/ManuelVelasco. Statue of Alfonso the wise king, in Toledo © iStock/manuelvelasco.