Our study of the blade's microstructure shows that it consisted of an iron core with a 2mm layer of medium carbon steel, which was then hardened by a process of quenching and tempering at 200–300°C.
It got a bit squashed during the sinking of the Mary Rose when the ship landed on it, but it was about 1,005mm long, with the blade making up 865mm of the length.
To be honest, we’re lucky to have a blade to study – mostly we found just the handles, or rusty outlines on the seabed that, despite our best efforts, only survive as photographs.
It was Royal Engineer diver Wayne Dunn who found this particular sword, while digging underneath the Mary Rose in preparation for her lifting on 11th October 1982.
Sadly nobody recorded if he brought it to the surface in the style of the Lady of the Lake with Excalibur...
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We then put it through electrolysis to remove chloride particles that cause corrosion in marine iron objects
Sadly nobody recorded if he brought it to the surface in the style of the Lady of the Lake with Excalibur...
https://maryrose.org/artefacts/basket-hilted-sword/