Addendum

The pretensions of the wood golem sect are heard by none but themselves at the time, but a thousand years later people will pine for the craftmanship and delicate sensibilities of their golems, both qualities now vanished from the world.

Competing for Status

Do you think the manufacturers and owners of bronze and iron golems snipe at each other, with the latter claiming distinction based on innovation and the former pointing to both the venerability of the metal used and its superior sturdiness compared to early examples of the latter type? Because I do.

The Will to Secrecy

The customer picked up the sword, reverently it seemed, and admired it before turning the point toward its smith. "Now, if you please, the secret of your peerless weapons."
"Hmph. You aren't the first to try that," the swordsmith said. "It works, too, but once they hear it, they all swear to keep the secret. Of their own volition!"
"We will see. So?"
"It's the metal. Froganite."
"I have never heard of froganite. Are you sacrificing your life for a joke?"
"Of course you haven't heard of it. It's secret. Froganite is exceedingly rare because there's only one way to get it, and not from any mine. First, a steel frog devours gold flies. Then . . ."
"Then?"
"Then my assistants wait a week or so and pick up the, uh, result of the process. Takes a while to get enough."
The customer examined the sword again, somewhat less reverently. "Really?"
"Yep."
"Oh. Well." Saying that, he sheathed the magnificent blade, and nothing needed be said about whether he would tell anyone the truth behind it. On the verge of leaving, he paused. "How did anyone find that out?"
"You aren't the first to ask that, either."
Finis

The Best Materials

Forget dumb old blandamantium and get up to date with double bronze, double iron, and double steel. Owing to the square cubed law, double iron is eight times as good as regular iron. Since bronze is an alloy, it ends up being twenty-four times as good in double form.