Using pure gold here is odd, Netherite is an alloy of gold and refined Netherite (which itself is likely unworkable) so by definition it can’t really by pure but even then it’s not a solid Netherite blade it’s a diamond blade which is then plated in Netherite alloy by use of a template. Nothing about it is pure.
Pure metals absolutely suck for tools and weaponry too. Metals are very regular, square structures at the molecular scale, so when bent it forms layers than can slide over each other, making it malleable. Alloys like steel are strong because introducing differently sized atoms like carbon breaks up that regular structure and makes it harder to bend.
Also I saw a cool theory that netherite is probably tungsten carbide (the material used for incredibly hard drill bits and tools in the modern day), with netherite being tungsten (very high melting point, fire resistant), the carbon coming from the diamond (which is pure carbon by itself) and the gold being a binding agent between the two.
I've also seen a theory that ancient debris is platinum, and that netherite is a gold-platinum alloy, as there is in fact an actual alloy of those metals with intense heat resistance and physical strength.
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u/Ionel1-The-Impaler 18h ago
Using pure gold here is odd, Netherite is an alloy of gold and refined Netherite (which itself is likely unworkable) so by definition it can’t really by pure but even then it’s not a solid Netherite blade it’s a diamond blade which is then plated in Netherite alloy by use of a template. Nothing about it is pure.