Quote Originally Posted by arguskos View Post
My question is this: is laminated steel different enough to cause differences in the abilities of a weapon (say, a sword and a shorter blade, such as a knife or dagger) made from it, as opposed to normal materials?
I'm somewhat familiar with the modern material that is being called Laminated Steel, and I'd have to say I don't think it would make a very good weapon material.

First off, the term laminated steel can apply to pattern welded and folded steel, but that's not what is being refered to here. This stuff has been around since the 1990's and the current trade name for it is 'Quiet Steel'. It's normally used in making car body panels and a limited number of mechanical parts. Basically it's two thin sheets of steel sandwitched around a polymer core. The idea being that the core is viscoelastic and as such it dampens vibrations. It's easier, and cleaner, to deal with than the normal sound-deading foam used in cars. Otherwise it's mechanical properties are very similar to normal sheet steel. Except for one thing that prevents it from being used in more mechanical parts, and weapons.

The bit that makes it poor for weapon use is that while it dampens vibrations, enough of a shock will cause it to delaminate. Yeah, that's a problem.