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A Brief Buying Guide and History of Swords

While shopping around for swords, knives and daggers, you might have come across some weapon smiths claiming their swords "High quality" and "the best made. These claims may have some foundation, however, does not hurt to define a set of criteria that you determine quality.

Part of our goal Sword Buyers Guide is to help people not be misled into buying what is not really a sword, but a kitchen knife too ambitious, or just a simple part of the exhibition! Swords and knives differ in what is expected of them. A sword is not most definitely a long knife, and people who only approach it in this way may be selling something no better than a piece of garbage replicas of Taiwan! That I even admit that they sell here at The Trunk captains are mostly just pieces DISPLAY. But we are always to increase our inventory, so check with us often.

However, as there are so many factors that determine quality, we wanted to give you a breakdown some very superficial things to get you started.

Metallurgy of metals used

First of all, anything made of stainless steel can not be considered a real sword, but a sword display. Anyone selling stainless steel sword is like a real need to understand that the blades are stainless molecularly fragile and can not have nearly the same punishment as the sword of age, regardless of the steel from Toledo of Spain or other landmark.

Modern metallurgy has been incredible advances. Different metallurgy steels have different names, but all are generally simple alloys or "lower league" high carbon steel.

Let's take stainless steel, for example. In general, it is very high in chromium acting as an enhancer of grain, but does not weaken the molecular bonds – definitely a weakness that you want in a sword!

Moreover, the steel 5160 is widely used in truck springs and has proven itself as a sword that can give as much as it can get. Other steels are used for, say, more sophisticated Japanese katanas can be made of steel forge welded cable, or from the 10xx series as AISI 1050, 1084, 1095, etc., which are metallurgically similar (though with differences) with traditional sources of Japanese steel. L6 is a steel that is the talk of the town, with incredible performance being reported. In the case of Japanese swords, steel should be able to be tempered clay to create a real temper line (or "hamon"), which is something high steels can not do.

Some blacksmiths used O1, D2, A2 or swords. These are the category of tool steel, and can serve as functional swords. But if you really want beautiful aesthetics as a line of temperament real Japanese sword, you're out of luck unless the smith knows a special technique to achieve this.

Quality

Another important thing is to supply quality steel itself. How so? Many swords manufactured in the Philippines and other Third World countries such as India and Pakistan can use "spring steel". These are in fact recycled springs from tanks or trucks. While in the U.S. the cost of steel 5160 is fairly new low, the recycling truck springs may present a problem. Often, recycled spring steel is not processed properly, the treatment process steel has some skill, but the third world countries have been known to cut corners. This results in "memory" in the case of steel, which can cause steel stress and want to revert to its original grain direction. Moreover, without adequate heat treatment and normalization, the steel can suffer cracks micro-crystalline. Thus, over a period of time, this can cause "cracks" along the grain boundaries as the sword is subjected to stress and shock. The result is that swords may eventually break if not done correctly.

So, be very careful when you buy swords. Learn what country they are made com. Note the sales pitch. "Live Steel" or "Spring Steel" or simply "High Carbon Steel" may be incomplete or misleading, depending on how your presentation. This does not mean that steel from recycled sources are bad. Some of the best style swords Japanese have been made from anything from forge welded cable to Russian iron anchor. It's like the steel is recycled and retreated to the sword.

Heat treatment

The goal of heat treatment is to achieve an optimum balance between hardness and toughness – qualities that are inversely proportional to each other! Tenacity has to do with shock absorption and shock tolerance, while the hardness has to do with the cutting ability and edge retention. Very soft, and his sword cut. Very difficult and that the sword is very fragile.

Poor heat treatment can totally ruin a sword. It's amazing how some companies have websites or on the quality of steel, but they speak very little about how a sword was heat treated. If there is no mention, and the sword retailer or reseller can not comment on heat treatment, and if the sword is U.S. $ 300 or less, then chances are your sword can not perform as well as a sword made by Smith, who dedicated special attention to maximizing the performance of the blade.

In the case of Japanese swords, the border is more difficult for cutting durability, while the back of the blade is softer to withstand the pressures of combat (though the Samurai tried to kill with simple strokes and avoid contact of the blade to blade completely!)

If you do not treat her right heat, initially, that could not survive the end of the attenuation of water and eventually crack. Some are very obvoius cracks, and some are very thin. The fine can grow over time, in some cases.

Some Renaissance interpretations Faire, say, the Japanese sword, are – to say the least – unfortunate. They have a hard edge and soft as the spine traditional Japanese swords are – Which is a magnificent marriage between toughness and hardness – a result of careful heat treatment. They are just selling a steel bar bent to a sharp point and a sharp edge that does not require much work!

Weight and Balance

Even if some have a good concept of the first two points, some manufacturers swords have no notion of how it should feel a sword. The best thing to do is discreetly ask the manufacturer to your sword on the philosophy approaches a blade design. Dean Piesner, a sword maker in St. Jacobs, Ontario, Canada, says he first determines that the client's destiny blade – and your target is. These factors – including physical measures of the person – come into play in the design resulting sword. A sword made for cutting armor will differ in design than a sword designed just to cut meat. Historically, the Japanese sword had differences in the balance of thickness and width of the blade, and adding fullers (grooves or – not "of blood grooves ") to relieve the blades in some cases.

A large blade need not be heavy all that as a result of balance all these factors. Thus, the ability to create a weapon that meets (and higher), the parameters of their use is a huge blessing. In short, a sword not have to be heavy, unlike the belief of some people. In fact, a heavy sword could compromise the maneuverability, and a situation of life or death I bet my life in a well balanced and lighea sword that was made with the qualities mentioned above (points 1, 2 and 3).

Swordmakers the past always worked with masters of fencing, etc., in a synergistic relationship that provided constant feedback on how a sword was made. The sword was made for man. Thus, a smith without this kind of support is prevented to provide a product that can serve as a weapon. Otherwise, you have a wall hanger or decorative pieces.

Beware of the swords that are over 3 lbs. Some decorative swords are 50-10 pounds. that is as heavy as a dumbbell weight lifting. In olden times, a sword that incredible weight to get it Another person killed by the sword!

Design and Aesthetics

Some say: "Who cares about looks, so long as it is functional? However, the sword of ancient times have their artistic charm that can not be denied. Although not all swords are ornate or detailed with gold, silver or precious stones, the truth is that there is a balance again between the sword and aesthetic design, ranging from cable clamps arrived Schiavoni Italian to handle broardswords Scottish basket.

The most complete, for example, may in some swords be joined by one or more fullers minors. The effect seems decorative, but the lighter sword does not suffer no compromise in strength. If you imagine a diamond cross section of a sword and a more complete picture on either side of the blade, the fuller basically creates two thorns. The spine serves as a support base for a blade.

swordmakers modern day weapons ugly maybe to do to qualify for a study of historical weapons. Some Western interpretations of Japanese katana is really deplorable appearance. The handles are wood, as was the tradition, but is Tang basically made thick, and then wrapped with a appoximation (or attempt) of a traditional wrap, and then "frozen" with epoxy. A person attached to me, "They do it because they simply do not know how to do a good handle and wind the thing properly!" Curiously, they have on the functional aspects the sword to harm you look at the poor aesthetics.

In a knife show, someone showed me his katana "and boasted about it, indicating four readings different Rockwell hardness, edge to two mid-points and finally the spine. He was very pleased with himself in the heat differential treat succeeded. But what is done? "The stainless steel." Ah. Bu-bye.

And if you approach someone to make a katana in Japanese style, is worth studying the actual geometry of a Japanese blade. A katana blade, if you study it carefully, because it's beautiful line of his wonderful humor, their grain (which is forged and not material removal or grinding) and the geometry of the blade. People who make steel bars curved with sharp edges and sharp points have completely failed the point of the katana and have inadvertently made the heaviest sword (this is a serious problem I have with many interpretations of Renaissance Faire katanas.) Attention to detail the facets of a traditional Japanese sword blade is given by traditional polishes a huge discipline of many years of study and should not be overlooked flippantly!

Another thing to consider is the cable. The cable includes the guard, hilt and pommel. While the bone is seen mainly as a counterweight to the blade, the handle must be viewed as a whole. This in turn has to be taken into account with the previous point in the weight and balance. Many swords fists in the wildest fantasy world, and even the handles are so heavy that the sword does not make sense as a weapon.

For the handle, I think the right wire wraps are very comfortable, while some others will absolutely tear your skin off or giving you blisters. Some leather grips are good but some others can give your hand a difficult time. These katanas "that are, say, parachute rope on the handle / tang can be uncomfortable to the side because you are trying to hold a flat rectangular bar steel and not a grain more ergonomic to deal with a carved wooden handle can give you.

Adherence to tradition

There is a why swords were made the way they were. They come from many years and generations of rigorous research, experimentation and effort. Certain designs worked and some do not. Consider how the Japanese katana and kept its shape over the centuries!

There is a saying that if you do not study history are doomed to repeat their mistakes. Personally, I admire those who are approaching swordmakers museums and private collections of ancient swords and historical research as been done, your construction and balance.

My personal feeling is that modern technology should enhance and just generally does not replace the total creation of the sword. For example, certain metals or techniques and tools can help and help provide a better product performance and improve consistency of quality. Swordmaking is both a art as a science, and perhaps a way of life.

Historical recreations of swords should at least match the functionality of the original. Some modern pieces can not duplicate the ornate decoration features the original sword as much as the originals were to maintain accessibility and low cost. The degree of decoration not necessarily guarantee a more battleworthy sword.

In the case of Japanese swords, creating an application where Western is an adjacent bar steel and involved both to the nearest cable wrap, or simply tied with parachute cord, etc., are strictly not truly western interpretations and qualify as "katanas". schools devoted to tradition they feel the sword should not even be marketed as katanas, but as "katanas" because much work has been ignored in making this sword. Smiths of ancient Japan has been known to sit at the feet of their masters at least a decade learning the craft to make the sword. Questions today blacksmiths – who have avoided the meticulous process – and claim superior performance are questionable and should be taken with a grain of salt. You either a sharp steel bar, or you want a real sword?

Conclusion

Finally, if you feel like the sword is a part of you – an extension yourself? It is strange to use their own natural body movements or not their use seems intuitive? While these are debatable and subjective qualities, I think these are a good start for a beginner. If a sword maker has satisfied the above points, the quality of their work compared to others with the same criteria will be – not identical – but within the same stage. There will always be room for new discoveries and new methods and approaches for forging and design. A blacksmith, which reaches the above points and is still actively researching ways of improving quality is probably worth your attention. Piesner Dean says: "It is not the final product What is art but the process itself. "

To find high-quality swords, knives, daggers and more online goto: www.thecaptainstrunk.com

About the Author

As long time members of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), we have always been on the lookout for high quality products available at a reasonable price – whether it be garb, feast gear, weapons for use on the field or display, but were frustrated at not finding what was needed in one place. From this humble idea, The Captain’s Trunk was born.

We have grown a great deal since the beginning and are continually looking for new merchants to work with. If you don’t find what you are looking for here, or own a business that would fit in with our family, please let us know! It is our goal to grow to become the premier, “One Stop Shop” for re-enactors, fantasy enthusiasts, collectors and more.

The Captain’s Trunk is a subsidiary of Shape Shifter Enterprises. We are a family owned and operated business, serving our customers in Tucson, Arizona, and the world.

It is our goal that you will have an enjoyable online shopping experience, with us. We truly believe that Your Happiness is our Success and welcome the opportunity to work with you!

The “Captain”

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