I remember a scene from the 1930s movie “The Crusades” where a Christian knight and a Saracen are confronting each other. The Saracen holds his sword out edge-up, tosses a silk scarf into the air, and it drops in two pieces when it falls across the blade. Hollywood “special effect”, of course, but I am sure it was based on some old legend about the sharpness of middle Eastern blades.
and that is the time I come across & off w/ his head
After having had some personal experience in sharpening blades, I'd say it was typical arab bullshite.