Do we know if you can burn Hemalurgic metals, like you can Feruchemical metals? If not, what do you think?

[abernell]

I was reading The Lost Metal yesterday, and this question just popped up in my head, as such questions often do (I learned pretty major spoilers about the end of both Era one and Era two book two). Does anybody know, or can you guess?

[CoderDrag0n8 He/They]

7 minutes ago, abernell said:

I was reading The Lost Metal yesterday, and this question just popped up in my head, as such questions often do (I learned pretty major spoilers about the end of both Era one and Era two book two). Does anybody know, or can you guess?

It has been confirmed that they have different Allomantic Properties, but we do not know what.

[Treamayne]

5 hours ago, abernell said:

Does anybody know, or can you guess?

Here's the WoB:

Spoiler

Quote

Czanos

Would anything interesting happen if an Allomancer Burned a Hemalurgic spike, or a Feruchemist Tapped one?

Brandon Sanderson

Er, well, it’s possible. But you’d have to be burning a Hemalurgic spike that killed you and took your power…

Just like you can’t gain anything by burning a metalmind unless you infused it yourself.

#tweettheauthor 2009 (July 8, 2009)

Quote

17th Shard

Can you burn the spikes? Like, Allomantically? For example, could they burn the steel in their head spikes?

Brandon Sanderson

I considered that and I eventually decided that they could, but it would be an excruciating process that would probably knock them unconscious simply by doing it.

17th Shard

Would they be able to tap?

Brandon Sanderson

Would they tap them? They can use them as metalminds, yes.

17th Shard Interview (Oct. 3, 2010)

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Maru Nui

What happens when you burn a Hemalurgic spike?

Brandon Sanderson

Burning a Hemalurgic spike would have the effect of splicing your spiritual DNA to that of the person's that is in the spike, which would have some very strange consequences.

Tor.com Q&A with Brandon Sanderson (Jan. 10, 2011)

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Questioner

If you burn a Hemalurgic spike, would it graft the piece of stolen soul onto your soul?

Brandon Sanderson

No, but it would have... There are some interesting effects there.

Shadows of Self Chicago signing (Oct. 12, 2015)

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RoboChrist

If you have a Hemalurgic spike made of atium, that grants atium Allomancy, could you use the spike itself as a source of atium to burn?

Brandon Sanderson

Briefly. 

Skyward Pre-Release AMA (Oct. 30, 2018)

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Questioner

Several of my friends play the [Mistborn] tabletop game, and we have a question, so, if you want to burn a metal Allomantically do you actually have to ingest it, or can it just be in your bloodstream, or-?

Brandon Sanderson

If it gets in there somehow, you can use it.

Questioner

So you can inhale something, or inject something ... what about spikes? Could you like burn a spike that was-?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, you could, but not if it's Hemalurgically placed or Hemalurgically charged. But otherwise yes. If it gets in you-- I almost wrote a scene where someone got stabbed through the chest and they burned it. The problem is your metal also has to be of the right allomantic alloy.

Words of Radiance Philadelphia signing (March 21, 2014)

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Questioner (paraphrased)

Would you be able to get any kind of additional power from burning a Hemalurgic spike?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

There would be power there, but you wouldn’t be able to access it. Like burning someone else’s metalmind.

American Fork High School Signing (Dec. 12, 2019)

 

Out of Curiosity?

5 hours ago, abernell said:

reading The Lost Metal yesterday <snip> I learned pretty major spoilers about the end of both Era one and Era two book two

Did you read TLM before reading the rest of Mistborn? Did you not expect spoilers by doing so? If not, then I am confused as to what you are trying to say. Please consider an Intro Post to let us know what you have or have-not read (whichever list is shorter). Also, please consider checking out the Sharder FAQ for some useful forum info and tips.

Hope that helps

Edited August 10, 2025 by Treamayne
Added WoBs