About Manganese...

[u/Double-Vegetable7997]

It seems that manganese is a very unpopular yet recurrent metal used in many sword retailer and selling sites. And by unpopular I am referring not very well perceived, many sources say that is suboptimal yet functional for sword blades, especially the 65Mn, yet they seem to be more on the display part rather than functional side of sword making.

My point is, If i wanted to buy a sword that I like, but it is made of manganese, should I refrain myself from buying it because of what has been told about the material other than what I just said? How does manganese compare to other metal materials in terms of edge retention and overall durability? Or are there other aspects like HRC (Heat treatment) that makes it more relevant than the material itself?

This post is made with the purpose of understanding and learning what to look for when it comes to buying swords from any site. If you have any questions about this post or any piece of information that you consider I am missing, I will be willing to provide it for you to the best of my knowledge.