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Old 14th August 2020, 10:35 PM   #19
Philip
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: California
Posts: 1,036
Default blade taper

Quote:
Originally Posted by CSinTX
Beautiful sword Philip. Love the large pommel and matching finials.

Does the blade on yours taper much? I assume it must with the weight you list.
Thanks, Casey. The deep spiral fluting on the pommel and the quillon finials, mirrored on the obverse side-ring, are typically Germanic.

Regarding taper, the width measurements I gave in my post indicate that just where the edges curve towards each other at the tip, the width there is half the width right ahead of the guard. This, over a linear span of about 34 in. How does this compare with the proportions of yours?

As to thickness, if I put the caliper immediately in front of the guard, it reads 5.5 mm, and within a couple inches of the tip, 4.5 mm.

As you say, it's hard to objectively measure flex (and it's never a good idea to apply a great deal of lateral stress to a centuries-old thin piece of steel with areas of corrosion, for obvious reasons), but the general "feel" of the blade's resiliency generally compares with that of a 15th cent. Venetian broadsword of similar size in my collection -- admittedly a rather imprecise assessment.

Regarding the slight concavity in the edge contours on your sword, I've noticed this occasionally on other double edged blades of similar form, especially those which have seen a fair amount of field use, as opposed to being ceremonial or regalia pieces. I've always attributed it to the cumulative effect of many sharpenings. A bladesmith friend once told me that nicks or chips in an edge are likely stress points, which could result in fracture lines after subsequent lateral stresses. People back then must have realized this, and that is why you see old blades with edges ground back to the point where there are noticeable irregularities, or a general narrowing.

If the subject of pre-industrial blade metallurgy interests you, I highly recommend Alan Williams' The Sword and the Crucible: A History of the Metallurgy of European Swords up to the 16th century (2012). Lots of useful info on iron alloys, forging techniques, and heat treating based on lab analysis of blades from Roman to Renaissance times, with enough general info on the swords of Eastern cultures to provide a techno context.
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