The battle of Hamildon, fought in Scotland in 1402, was won mainly through their excellence.

The historian records that they penetrated the armour of the Earl of Douglas, which had been three years in making; and they were "so sharp and strong that no armour could repel them." The same arrowheads were found equally efficient against French armour on the fields of Crecy and Agincourt.
Although Scotland is now one of the principal sources from which our supplies of iron are drawn, it was in ancient times greatly distressed for want of the metal.

The people were as yet too little skilled to be able to turn their great mineral wealth to account.

Even in the time of Wallace, they had scarcely emerged from the Stone period, and were under the necessity of resisting their iron-armed English adversaries by means of rude weapons of that material.

To supply themselves with swords and spearheads, they imported steel from Flanders, and the rest they obtained by marauding incursions into England.