im collecting old pre-1880 iron nails to mix with broken bits of antique Japanese teapots and ruined antique Japanese swords to make a batch of oreshigane to make a tanto and tachi. I'm copying the Kamakura-era Soshu style.
Smelting iron is something you could read about and reasonably do.
Forging a blade from it that looks like that is a skill that would take decades to learn. I'm not buying it.
My favorite magic items that any character of mine has ever owned is a rapier forged for my thief by a Magma Titan (in Baba Yaga's hut) using "star metal" from Barrier Peaks and stone taken from Citadel Cavitius. I love the idea of gathering rare ingredients for a custom magic item.
Compare that to Narsil and I think we have an epic allegory between Tolkien's magnificence and that ordinary "believe me it's got secret meteor juice" fencepost
Same man who had his unfinished manuscripts bulldozed in his will. Terry Pratchett was a god among men, and the world is the worst for it now that he's gone
If anyone finds the secret area where this sword is kept they will become a legendary hero.
It's definitely a treasure locked in a dungeon somewhere guarded by some kind of dungeon boss.
