"tears of the wounded" swords...

Jim McDougall · 2nd September 2008, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jens Nordlunde

Jim,
I don't know where you have see that wootz blades were likely to break. It is the first time I hear about it, in all the years I have collected.
Kronckew,
This is very interesting. So maybe it is true, what I have been told, that the chevron blades with the tears of the wounded were used in battles.

Thanks Jens, obviously misstated, and perhaps I can blame desert fatique for trying to recall notes on wootz that I didnt thoroughly understand in the first place!

I think that I might have been thinking of the avoidance of sword to sword combat with shamshirs and wootz blades, but then any blade which had a flaw in its composition would probably fracture in such stress, and the use of the shield to parry might have led my assumption. Thank you for the correction.

Best regards,
Jim

Jens Nordlunde · 2nd September 2008, 09:45 PM

Don’t loose any sleep about it Jim.

Now, the interesting thing is, that there are ‘tears of the wounded’, and there are ‘tears of the wounded’. Some may know of this, and other may not, but close to the ricasso some of the swords with the tears have slots on each side of the blade. These are only short slots, but they are there, and the balls are there as well.

The interesting thing is, does this have anything to do with the ‘tears’ - who knows? But on other blades you can see small groves in the same place, indicating that there could have been balls in them, had they been slots, and not groves. Sometimes the groves are in connection with three dots at each end.

Jens

Jim McDougall · 3rd September 2008, 02:19 AM

OK Jens, as penance I did some more looking into wootz and found all the information on the 'strength' of the steel, so that was interesting. It is noted however, that the process must be carefully completed to avoid the creation of cementatite and a hopelessly fragile blade.
Naturally, this same result might occur in any type of forging, so I cant be sure where my thoughts came from.

Did we ever figure why the term, tears of afflicted or wounded?

The slots: perhaps to lighten the blade, much as with fullers? and of course for the balls as applicable.

Bill M · 3rd September 2008, 08:06 AM

Pictures, near the end of the link.

http://thomaschen.freewebspace.com/photo2.html

2nd September 2008, 09:45 PM	#2
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	Don’t loose any sleep about it Jim. Now, the interesting thing is, that there are ‘tears of the wounded’, and there are ‘tears of the wounded’. Some may know of this, and other may not, but close to the ricasso some of the swords with the tears have slots on each side of the blade. These are only short slots, but they are there, and the balls are there as well. The interesting thing is, does this have anything to do with the ‘tears’ - who knows? But on other blades you can see small groves in the same place, indicating that there could have been balls in them, had they been slots, and not groves. Sometimes the groves are in connection with three dots at each end. Jens

3rd September 2008, 02:19 AM	#3
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,297	OK Jens, as penance I did some more looking into wootz and found all the information on the 'strength' of the steel, so that was interesting. It is noted however, that the process must be carefully completed to avoid the creation of cementatite and a hopelessly fragile blade. Naturally, this same result might occur in any type of forging, so I cant be sure where my thoughts came from. Did we ever figure why the term, tears of afflicted or wounded? The slots: perhaps to lighten the blade, much as with fullers? and of course for the balls as applicable.

3rd September 2008, 08:06 AM	#4
Bill M Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: USA Georgia Posts: 1,599	Pictures, near the end of the link. http://thomaschen.freewebspace.com/photo2.html