So I was curious about something, that something being what was the difference between bronze and brass and also what metals steel was comprised of. I found my answers and this is what I discovered.
Steel for those that don't already know is an alloy made up of mostly iron and then some carbon. As far as weaponry goes in the medieval times, steel didn't come around until later. Iron was more plentiful. But even more plentiful was weapons and armor made of bronze. Bronze is an alloy consisting of mostly copper and tin, both of which are too soft on their own to be of much use. But combine them together and you have something even stronger than iron is. So it would be more likely to find weapons and such made out of bronze than iron or steel in medieval/fantasy settings. Of course, this being fantasy you can do whatever you like, and it can't be wrong.
Brass while looking similar to bronze is also an alloy made up of mostly copper and zinc. Not as tough or strong as bronze, and brass also didn't come around until later, where it was discovered by accident by mixing in with copper some kind of zinc ore (can't remember the exact name of it).
Cold iron is in fact iron melted at a lower temperature for a much longer period of time, making it much more durable than normal iron burned at a higher temperature for a shorter time. I am unsure if this changes the chemical properties of the iron or not, but I guess I can always look that little fact up later. Whereas steel is mostly iron and carbon, add in to that some chromium, and you get stainless steel.
Just some food for thought. I found this interesting so maybe someone else will too.
