An old legend has it that a Nordic smith named Ulfberht
developed the first all steel blade. This crucial development
achieved near-mythical status among warriors, making this one of
the most important swords in the study of medieval weapons.
Several of these blades from slightly different time periods
exist, some engraved in gratitude and reference with Ulfberht's
hallowed name. Prior to the Ulfberht swords, all European swords
were of the pattern welded variety. Soft iron bars were welded
together with strips of steel, forged into a blade shape, then a
steel edge was welded onto the sword. But, the Ulfberht sword
was a quantum leap in both technology and design. Not strips,
but good carbon steel blades with enough carbon content to
produce excellent swords. Not only was the material better, but
the design of the sword was a definite improvement. The blade
tapered more sharply to the point than did previous blades. This
put the balance of the sword closer to the hand, making a sword
that was faster on both t