Swords

[Gillstay]

Just stick a pruning hook on a broom handle. That's near enough what they were - modified agricultural impliments.

No this is heavy, not for chopping mangle wurzels.

 

[Reynard]

The wavey pattern is not from folded (Damascus) steel. But from clay stuck to the edge and left there whilst tempering. That gives you a hard edge but soft spine.

I think it's both, but it's a while since I've done any in-depth reading on the subject. IIRC, they use two different grades of steel, one for hardness (cutting edge) and one for strength (back edge), and it's where the two grades join.

I'm more than happy to have my perimenopausal brain corrected though.

 

[Punkawallah]

I think it's both, but it's a while since I've done any in-depth reading on the subject. IIRC, they use two different grades of steel, one for hardness (cutting edge) and one for strength (back edge), and it's where the two grades join.

I'm more than happy to have my perimenopausal brain corrected though.

IIRC, this is the video they have on ‘autoplay’ at Royal Armouries, Leeds. Flavour text ends at about 13 minutes, relevant bit starts at about 16 minutes:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt6WQYtefXA

 

[Profpointy]

Just to make sure I'm not hallucinating or anything...

You got up in the morning and decided on a whim to make a sword from a garden gate.

That's correct, right?

You say that as if it were somehow a bad thing

 

[Yellow Saddle]

I think it's both, but it's a while since I've done any in-depth reading on the subject. IIRC, they use two different grades of steel, one for hardness (cutting edge) and one for strength (back edge), and it's where the two grades join.

I'm more than happy to have my perimenopausal brain corrected though.

It's good when someone is happy to be fact-checked. I lost a bit of money recently when I argued that a rabbit is a rodent. I was so cock-sure of my facts that I put down £20 (IIRC). I lost. Rabbits are not rodents. Your sword is not damascus. Damascus looks like this:

 

[roubaixtuesday]

You say that as if it were somehow a bad thing

Not at all, just checking I hadn't overdone the shrooms

 

[derrick]

IIRC, this is the video they have on ‘autoplay’ at Royal Armouries, Leeds. Flavour text ends at about 13 minutes, relevant bit starts at about 16 minutes:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt6WQYtefXA

Thanks for that really interesting.

 

[Punkawallah]

Thanks for that really interesting.

I live to serve :-)

 

[Reynard]

IIRC, this is the video they have on ‘autoplay’ at Royal Armouries, Leeds. Flavour text ends at about 13 minutes, relevant bit starts at about 16 minutes:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt6WQYtefXA

Oh, thanks for that. I'll sit down and have a watch once I've got today's culinary endeavours out of the way.

 

[Reynard]

It's good when someone is happy to be fact-checked. I lost a bit of money recently when I argued that a rabbit is a rodent. I was so cock-sure of my facts that I put down £20 (IIRC). I lost. Rabbits are not rodents. Your sword is not damascus. Damascus looks like this:
View attachment 799051

My background is in research, both in engineering (strength of materials, but composites, not metallurgy) and in motorsport history. I'm used to saying "I'm not sure" or "I don't know" if there's a hole in my info - far better to admit it than not.

In this case, I do have books on the subject (metallurgy, arms & armour, Japanese swords), but they're on the garage loft and awkward to get to.