Well, for starts never use grey. Always give it a hint of color. Second it's been said, but your shading is pretty random and looks like sprinkle it. On a sword this is counterproductive to the material you're trying to convey. As I zoom in I realized you didn't sprinkle, but it looks like that because you're using a sort of checker pattern, and at that resolution just blurs together into a grainy texture.
At these sizes, sometimes it's better to sacrifice reality in favor of the design.
