Hmmm...
Would a sword made of iridium keep a good edge?
( Cawl, Thu 11 Jun 2009, 10:57, 2 replies, latest was 17 years ago)

I've been reading about this...
Hardness is not the same as strength. Or not the same thing as toughness...hang on a minute...

Oh, that's right - something can be hard, but not very strong, if, say, it's brittle. Iridium is probably used in pens because it keeps its edge, but is quite brittle.

I don't really know - try slashing someone's face with your pen and see how the nib fares...
(LongJohnBaldry, Thu 11 Jun 2009, 10:59, Reply)

Hmmm...
Incredibly well, in fact.
He's now in the back of an ambulance.
( Cawl, Thu 11 Jun 2009, 11:03, Reply)

*crap joke alert*
Well, an iridium-edged sword might be a fearsome weapon. But the iridium tipped pen will still be mightier.

...Still, it's obviously done the do on him - what state is your pen in?
(LongJohnBaldry, Thu 11 Jun 2009, 11:47, Reply)

Yes it would keep a sharp edge
but I don't know about its brittleness, as Mr Crow said above. So it may lose its edge if you use it, just by chipping bits off. Also, it would be an extremely heavy and unwieldy sword.

A hardened steel sword with an iridium edge might be a good compromise.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Thu 11 Jun 2009, 11:03, Reply)