During the Crusades at the turn of the 11th century, knights returned to Europe with tales of the mysterious and strong swords being wielded by the Islamic warriors. According to the legends they told, these swords were sharp enough to cut through a floating pice of cloth, and was durable and flexible. Over the centuries, numerous attempts have been made to recreate the formula for Damascus Steel, but to no avail. No one knows what the secret was and how to make it, though some researchers back in 2006 claimed that the steel contained nanowire and carbon nanotubes, centuries before we even figured it out.