Fantasy Metals

[DanHoward]

Originally Posted by RyanW

Yet another option, and one quite realistic, is that people will pay extra for a sword crafted in the deepest of the Dwarven Mountainhomes regardless of quality. Sure, regular steel is fine for Sir Joe of Shmoe, but a knight of better breeding wants something he can brag about.

Yep. Toledo steel gained a reputation for quality. Indian wootz is another. Same thing happened with certain smiths. If a smith gains a reputation for quality then he can charge extra. After a while the actual quality doesn't matter so long as it came from Toledo or has that smith's name on it. A modern example is all of the fake Rolex and Gucci goods being sold. Gold jewellery is another. I'd be surprised if much of the jewellery sold in a US store today actually has the gold content that is being claimed.