JNR

Yes, but that's not really GRRM talking; it's Maester Yandel, so I didn't think it was what Lynn was looking for. There is also this passage from the canon that basically says the same stuff: Since this is Jaime's direct personal observation, and confirms the other info, I think we can assume Dawn is indeed very sharp and too pale to remind anyone of traditional Valyrian steel. Also helpful is the fact that the ripples in Valyrian steel come from folding the steel during forging: Since Dawn is never described as having such ripples, I think we can at least conclude it was forged in a fundamentally different way than any of the Valyrian steel we've ever encountered in canon, or that the Lannisters have ever heard of. I think the odds are very good Dawn is just simply not Valyrian steel. If it's far older than Valyria itself, I wouldn't be surprised.

Not in an SSM, no. He is however very clear that Valyrian steel is made with spells and has not made that remark about Dawn, to my knowledge. About Dawn's origin, he has only said it goes back at least a couple thousand years.

Yeah. As a regular contributor to Heresy I can't imagine anybody plowing through it all. On the other hand, if there were a synopsis of core ideas and current thinking, that would probably be read quite a bit. The best topics would be the ones Heresy rehashes every couple of months (rather like R+L=J rehashes the ToJ).