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[existent]

Realistically, a gold hammer would be so heavy that nobody in their right mind Dwarves would try to use it as an effective weapon

In my experience, they're exactly the same thing.

[elfhater]

Density seems to matter more than much else for blunt weapons, so it should work fairly well.

Realistically, a gold hammer would be so heavy that nobody in their right mind would try to use it as an effective weapon, so don't be surprised if it becomes less useful as further combat tweaks are made in upcoming revisions.

Realistically, pure gold is far too soft to use in tools and weapons (Mohs hardness of 2.5: it can't even scratch an aluminum can), is too nonreactive to chemically convert into anything useful (nothing short of concentrated nitrohydrochloric acid will dissolve it), and gold weakens any alloy to which it's added. That's why no culture on Earth has ever made weapons out of gold. Though kings have loved to hoard gold, it was steel, not gold, that defined history.

[existent]

Realistically, pure gold is far too soft to use in tools and weapons (Mohs hardness of 2.5: it can't even scratch an aluminum can), is too nonreactive to chemically convert into anything useful (nothing short of concentrated nitrohydrochloric acid will dissolve it), and gold weakens any alloy to which it's added. That's why no culture on Earth has ever made weapons out of gold. Though kings have loved to hoard gold, it was steel, not gold, that defined history.

You can make weapons out of silver, which is almost as malleable as gold, so why not have gold weapons? History or no, this is DF we're talking about.

[Grendus]

The reason gold hammers are in vogue right now is Toady hasn't added weapon maintainance. In real life, even if you could lift and swing a warhammer made of solid gold (which, assuming your race had a fascination for swinging picks endlessly for a month, might not be so impossible) it would bend on the first blow. Aside from dulling the blow (though it would probably still be very powerful), it would be useless for a longer fight.

[G-Flex]

You can make weapons out of silver, which is almost as malleable as gold, so why not have gold weapons?

Because it would be stupid and pointless except as ornamentation.

The reason gold hammers are in vogue right now is Toady hasn't added weapon maintainance. In real life, even if you could lift and swing a warhammer made of solid gold (which, assuming your race had a fascination for swinging picks endlessly for a month, might not be so impossible) it would bend on the first blow. Aside from dulling the blow (though it would probably still be very powerful), it would be useless for a longer fight.

Even if you could pick up and swing a gold hammer, you'd probably be better off picking up and swinging a heftier/longer-handled steel one. There's also the fact that a material being soft makes it less likely to, say, penetrate armor or generate decent impact pressure.

[existent]

My point is not that gold would make GOOD weapons.

Or even decent weapons.

Or even crappy weapons.

My point is why not? I kind of WANT to send my legions out wearing full gold-plate that gets dented if they so much as cough on it. Sure, they'll be slaughtered, but they'll be slaughtered in style.

[G-Flex]

As long as it's not out-of-character for dwarves to do so, and the consequences are realistic, then yeah, I don't see why not, especially since now you can have greater control over what your military wears. As long as it doesn't have stupid implications, then dwarves being idiots and putting on the gold armor for war.

[Double A]

If a regular-sized warhammer made of gold was weak, then wouldn't an extremely massive one only capable of being wielded by a giant be equally as powerful as a regular one? Maybe it's just really big, guys. And your dwarf has giant-strength.

Or you could just hang it from your ceiling.

[thijser]

Density seems to matter more than much else for blunt weapons, so it should work fairly well.

Realistically, a gold hammer would be so heavy that nobody in their right mind would try to use it as an effective weapon, so don't be surprised if it becomes less useful as further combat tweaks are made in upcoming revisions.

Realistically, pure gold is far too soft to use in tools and weapons (Mohs hardness of 2.5: it can't even scratch an aluminum can), is too nonreactive to chemically convert into anything useful (nothing short of concentrated nitrohydrochloric acid will dissolve it), and gold weakens any alloy to which it's added. That's why no culture on Earth has ever made weapons out of gold. Though kings have loved to hoard gold, it was steel, not gold, that defined history.

actually at least the romans made several golden swords for gladiators these were for stacked fights where a gladiator was given a clay lead or golden sword and was sent against a important figure. One of the emperors won hunderds of fights this way.

Perhaps we could use golden weapons for show aswell.

[Double A]

Soooo... give all your goblin prisoners gold swords, and tell them to fight one of your dwarves! They'd think they'll have a chance!

[Grendus]

On the flipside, a steel-plated gold hammer with a steel or wooden handle would be very powerful. Ever seen a baseball bat cored with lead? So long as it doesn't break, it will hit a ball ridiculously far.

[Double A]

Because of the other crap?

[elfhater]

Realistically, pure gold is far too soft to use in tools and weapons (Mohs hardness of 2.5: it can't even scratch an aluminum can), is too nonreactive to chemically convert into anything useful (nothing short of concentrated nitrohydrochloric acid will dissolve it), and gold weakens any alloy to which it's added. That's why no culture on Earth has ever made weapons out of gold. Though kings have loved to hoard gold, it was steel, not gold, that defined history.

You can make weapons out of silver, which is almost as malleable as gold, so why not have gold weapons? History or no, this is DF we're talking about.

You can, yes, but historically nobody ever did this except for ornamental or ceremonial purposes. Silver is no harder than gold, and is just as unsuitable as a weapon. The value of these metals as currency partially stems from the fact that they have, until recently, served no industrial purpose. These days they're both used in consumer electronics, though I really don't understand why gold is. Copper is a better conductor than gold, and infinitely cheaper. The reason, really, is that gold electronics are a Veblen good. They're luxury items and owning them is perceived as being a status symbol, despite their inferior performance to cheaper alternatives.

But I digress.

On the flipside, a steel-plated gold hammer with a steel or wooden handle would be very powerful. Ever seen a baseball bat cored with lead? So long as it doesn't break, it will hit a ball ridiculously far.

A lead core bat works better than either a lead bat or a wood bat because it's heavier than the wood bat and more elastic than the lead bat. This relationship doesn't work with steel and gold, because gold is actually much less elastic than steel. Your hammer would be both heavier and less effective than a pure steel hammer.

[G-Flex]

Silver is no harder than gold, and is just as unsuitable as a weapon.

Silver actually is harder than gold, but not by enough that it would be effective, really.

Copper is a better conductor than gold, and infinitely cheaper. The reason, really, is that gold electronics are a Veblen good. They're luxury items and owning them is perceived as being a status symbol, despite their inferior performance to cheaper alternatives.

It's because gold doesn't oxidize. It's inert. Copper oxidizes, and this will (in all real situations) limit its effectiveness. There's a reason gold is used for connectors, where the metal is exposed more to air.

Of course, tin is used for connectors instead of copper anyway (when gold isn't). At any rate, this doesn't mean that gold is necessary; it can help in some cases, but often just doesn't matter enough to justify the extra cost. But yeah, there is a reason aside from luxury.

[elfhater]

Silver is no harder than gold, and is just as unsuitable as a weapon.

Silver actually is harder than gold, but not by enough that it would be effective, really.

Copper is a better conductor than gold, and infinitely cheaper. The reason, really, is that gold electronics are a Veblen good. They're luxury items and owning them is perceived as being a status symbol, despite their inferior performance to cheaper alternatives.

It's because gold doesn't oxidize. It's inert. Copper oxidizes, and this will (in all real situations) limit its effectiveness. There's a reason gold is used for connectors, where the metal is exposed more to air.

Of course, tin is used for connectors instead of copper anyway (when gold isn't). At any rate, this doesn't mean that gold is necessary; it can help in some cases, but often just doesn't matter enough to justify the extra cost. But yeah, there is a reason aside from luxury.

Silver doesn't oxidize either (silver tarnish is a sulfide), is the best thermal and electric conductor in the periodic table, and the tarnish of copper only affects its surface conductivity and only when exposed to air. It wouldn't affect its bulk conductivity, and if the wires were shielded it wouldn't matter at all.