Steel In The Crusades

During the long years of the Crusades, the armies of Europe found themselves badly outnumbered. Not only were there more Saracens than Crusaders in the Holy Land, but also the armies of Islam were much better equipped. They rode sleek, swift horses bred for the hot desert climate, wore a chain mail light enough to provide them mobility yet strong enough to stop European blades, and used weapons made of a steel so well-forged that it bent under pressure without breaking, yet held an edge so sharp it could cleave a man in half with only the force behind one arm. What was the secret steel of the Near East; it's forging guarded so well by the sword smiths of Syria? That steel was called Damascus steel, a term used by the Crusaders to describe the