User blog comment:Laquearius/Beowulf vs King Arthur/@comment-422690-20170814175737

So...

Short Range: Excalibur wins. Even without the magic, it's a far superior sword. As to why, well... it's because quenching in blood is fucking stupid. And yes, it's rant time. First off, quenching in blood will give no advantage over quenching in brine, but with additional disadvantages. This is because blood contains these little things called proteins and cells; as the blade is quenched, the heat will cook the proteins it touches, leading to the blade being coated in - and in extreme cases partially fused with - a layer of blutwurst.Now, part of the drawbacks of water- and brine-quenching is that the temperature causes a steam bubble to form around the blade, slightly insulating the blade. Coating the blade with blood sausage will only compound that issue, leading to a blade more brittle than if made normally. If Hrunting never broke in battle, I an only conclude that it was never in battle. And Naegling won't serve him too well, either, because of Excalibur's magical properties. But yeah, quenching in blood is bad. Edge: Arthur.

TBC