Solid bronze.  Bronze is heavier than steel.  Consequently, this is what you call a neck-breaker.

I made the whorly bronze wire findings and hammered them flat myself -- the piece needed a bit of a quasi-Celtic flair.  The hammering gave them an interesting matted semi-smooth surface texture.  Getting this effect is very tricky: The secret is to leave your anvil out in the snow all winter so that, come spring, it has developed a good 2mm layer of rust.  Rub most of the rust off with steel wool, but be a little lazy and don't quite get it all smoothed out.  The texture will transfer to the piece you are working on as soon as you start hammering.

...*cough*...Not to say that I accidentally left my block of steel outside all through the snow and rain last winter...

Anyway.  Getting the photo was fun, too.  I wanted the background to look a bit more barbaric than the velveteen cloth I normally use, so  I went out and prowled the yard to find a substitute.  I tried about ten different things, but there can be only one! This is a piece of driftwood that we have filling space next to our back deck.  Complete with last fall's un-raked oak leaves.

16 ga 3/16" ID
Bronze
In the European 4:1 weave.