The Toledo steel
If you walk around the streets of Toledo, you will probably be amazed at the number of metal and crafts shops that exhibit swords among their products. Perhaps you have stayed staring at the window display of one of these shops looking at this impressive arms. Toledo’s steel is famous worldwide and swords of fantastic quality and reputation are made in our city.
The craftsmen of Toledo’s steel are also famous around the world and they have also been very successful in the film industry. Some of the swords that appeared in super-productions such as Highlander, Lord of the Rings, Braveheart or Gladiator were made in Toledo in a factory called Marto.
The tradition of swords and steel armour from Toledo has a very long history. It is a special mixture of iron and carbon that achieved a more uniform distribution of the final product, which made the arms made with it more resistant and manoeuvrable.
The fabrication of arms made from Toledo steel had its golden age between the 15th and 17th centuries, when numerous artisans from around Europe established themselves in Toledo, which became a world reference for the industry. Later on, the creation of the Factory of Arms in Toledo tried to stop the decadence of an activity who saw how the appearance of new kinds of weapons had left it obsolete.
Today you don’t need swords like before but that does not mean that Toledo’s steel tradition has become obsolete. Small workshops have emerged in the city who picked off where the old ones left off and are still creating steel crafts for decorative or artistic purposes.
For travellers who are attracted to this type of products, here’s a tip: careful when taking it back home since they might not meet the required security measures in airports.
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