Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 BRJN Apr 18, 2011 20:43:43	I was looking through a catalogue and could not resist some ... modifications. Cera Sharp Knife This Knife Stays Sharp for Life One ceramic Cera Sharp™ replaces a drawer full of metal kitchen knives.  Ultra sharp long-life blade won’t rust or peel, cutting through meat, bread, and more with precision and ease.  Non-stick surface so foods don’t cling while chopping.  Fruits & veggies won’t oxidize & turn brown as fast either.  Order now and receive FREE ceramic potato peeler.  Specially imported from Athas. 20 GP each Special Offer: We are in negotiations to provide items of personal protection under the Cera Sharp™ brand.  Place your pre-orders now! The plot hook is: track down this operation and take it over.  Ample money for life! And if you ever send the group planeswalking, they can bring their Cera Sharp brand swords right through the metal detector without a hitch.
#2 windlane Apr 19, 2011 14:00:23	I think you're overlooking something... ...it's ceramic. That means it's extremely weak against sharp blows. Ceramic knives don't really catch on because if you drop one it can shatter. A sword would likely break the first time you hit anything, even a soft part of what you're attacking simply by torquing the handle. Carbon fiber is the way to go if you want metal qualities without being easy to break, but that's not really a technology they've worked out on Athas yet. ;)
#3 mgbeach Apr 19, 2011 14:35:27	And if you ever send the group planeswalking, they can bring their Cera Sharp brand swords right through the metal detector without a hitch. I think ceramic knife manufacturers actually have to include enough metal in the process so that they aren't undetectable. As for Athasian ceramic swordsmiths, I'm not sure if they are held to the same standard.
#4 Kye_Tyrad Apr 19, 2011 16:01:55	You could go with an Agafari Wood as the handle and base of the sword, then the ceramic is used as the sword edge or it could be a replaceable edge for the sword, i.e. "If it chips, breaks, or shatters we will replace it free of charge...guaranteed!! You just pay for shipping and handling."
#5 windlane Apr 19, 2011 20:00:15	Every time you hit something you'd need a replacement edge. Ceramics are a great material because they can take extreme heat (those large vats they use to pour molten steel into molds and the molds themselves? ceramic) and because they hold their shape exceptionally well as long as they aren't given a sudden jolt (hence why they were used for knives). They won't take over the world because they break so easily, but the way they'll hold that edge and how they interact with food makes them something that'll always be around on the fringe. Plastic knives are just as popular for how they are with vegetables (not rusting the veggies as quickly and all that), but just as fringe worthy because once they wear out you can't really sharpen them again. Dark Sun really did get it right with the bone, stone, and chitin alternative solutions.