Discerning a Well-Made Sword

In many of the Primer articles in Sword Forum University, we will deal with the very basics of authentic sword design. There are many examples today of poor semblances of yesteryear's swords. Many even claim these are equal or better in performance. Unfortunately, many new students to swords are frequently influenced by people who have never studied historical or historically-accurate pieces and are thus mislead to believe as "good" swords that would have been considered substandard or would have utterly failed on a historical battlefield.

Myth and misconception aside, a well-made sword is a product of design, proper metallurgy, concise heat-treating, and a balance of various factors of physics - the result of which can yield a sword that feels "alive" in the hands. Granted that the sword can be a spiritual icon to some, the sword is first and foremost a weapon capable of taking or preserving lives and thus must be a product of both function and form and therefore must be constructed this way.

New students to swords who ask "How do I go about buying a sword?" will find this Primer valuable in discerning quality when selecting a sword. Keep in mind that there is no such thing as "the best sword" - there is only a sword that is best for you and your purposes.

Heat Treating

While this Primer will focus more on the handling characteristics of a sword, it is important to note that a blade must be physically made well in terms of quality and design, and must be heat treated properly for performance.

As mentioned in our article "Heat Treatment", the performance of a blade comes from proper forging, shaping, metallurgical mix and, most importantly, heat treatment which yields desired characteristics such as springiness, toughness and hardness. For example, if a sword takes a set too easily when flexed - or if it remains bent just from maneuvering the blade - and if the sword dents too easily, then the blade is too soft and the manufacturer has done an inadequate job of heat treating the blade.

Physical Properties / Handling Characteristics

We've already discussed how a well-made sword will exhibit various balanced physical parameters. Again, there is no such thing as the "best" sword except what is "best" for you, given the application the sword will serve.

A sword will handle effectively (or feel "alive") if it is balanced properly. Hence, the following points will describe the concept of effective weight distribution in a sword, as well as other physical properties that a well made sword will exhibit.

• Point of Balance - The Point of Balance (or "PoB") is where the mass of a sword is evenly distributed on a horizontal plane (from pommel to tip). An effective PoB can exist from three to six inches depending on the overall weight of the sword. Some historical swords might weigh, say, 3 lbs. but have the handling characteristics of a sword weighing slightly over 2 lbs. Some historical Renaissance rapiers handle as if they were sporting epées.

  With respect to balance, if the PoB is too close to the grip, the sword may have too much a weight concentration in the grip and the sword will feel awkward. The blade may feel light but cutting with the sword will be ineffectual because (1) there will be loss of blade and point control, (2) the blade will lack the momentum for proper cutting and effective material penetration, and (3) the grip and pommel may have the effect of dragging your hand downwards.

  Conversely, a sword whose balance is too far out results in a sword that is blade-heavy and difficult to wield. Such a sword would might be effective if it made contact with the target. However, it would undoubtedly cause fatigue with prolongued use, at which point a heavy or heavily-balanced sword would not be as effective as the more lightly balanced sword in the opponent's hands. (There may be something to be said about the fitness of yesteryear's fighters and thus their stamina and ability to handle heavier swords.)

  With poorly-made swords where the blades are heavy, the sword may be counterbalanced by either increasing the weight of the pommel or by making the hilt longer. However, these are not necessarily the correct approach, because by altering the physical dimensions of a sword, the martial function and application of a particular sword may be inadvertently changed or compromised. A sword is a tool of swordsmanship - not the other way around!

  A sword blade can be made lighter by factoring a distal taper and/or profile taper so that the blade becomes lighter towards its point. The existence of a fuller can also lighten a sword without sacrificing structural integrity too much. Often times a fuller can create the impression that a blade has increased in stiffness, but this due to less mass and inertia causing the blade to "wobble" as a result of there being a fuller/groove.

  With some swords, fullers do not necessarily run the entire length of the sword. Shown in the illustration above is a typical Medieval era knightly sword where the fuller runs only two-thirds the length of the blade. It is possible that the fuller was implemented partial-length because as the blade narrows, continuance of the fuller might weaken the blade structurally if it were subjected to stress. Another reason may be to reinforce this area - known as the Center of Percussion (or "sweet spot").




• Center of Percussion - Also known as the "Sweet Spot" of a blade, the CoP is (1) the point on the blade exhibiting the lowest tendency to vibrate, and therefore is (2) the most effective portion of the blade to strike the target with. As shown in the illustration above, the fuller ends somewhere before the CoP begins. This reserves material to structurally reinforce the CoP and to reduce "wobbliness".



• Vibration & Shock Dissipation Control / Harmonic Balance - While the term "Harmonic Balance" is not necessarily a historical concept or an industry-standard term, the principle behind it is worth mentioning. As with any sword, when struck, it will vibrate. Some swords may handle well but do not have sufficient shock dissipation control. In other words when a sword impacts the target, the shock transfer to the grip can be so great that it can be painful holding it. A badly-vibrating sword can be difficult to control in a fight.

  A sword can have two or more "nodes" of minimal vibration - the Center of Percussion happens to be one such node but located on the blade. It is possible - given modern understanding of vibration and harmonics - to artificially position one of these nodes of minimal vibration in the grip. A poorly designed sword - no matter how beautiful in appearance - can suffer vibrational problems and thus adversely impact handling.

A frequently overlooked area of hidden weaknesses in swords is the hilt. After all, the hilt is the means by which the blade is manipulated and maneuvered in combat, but it also protects the hand.

The tang is the portion of the blade that enters the hilt. It is generally forged as part of the blade - only narrower so that the steel can enter into the cross guard, through the hilt, and out the pommel, where excess material is heated softer so that it can be hammered / peened. (In some cases, historically, the pommel might be forged and heated so that it expands. It is placed over the tang and allowed to air-cool, thereby contracting and securing a tight hold on the tang. The wood comprising the grip is carved in relief and added as a final step.)

A tang will ideally be one third to one half (or more if feasible) the width of the blade, though historically they were approximatley one third the width at the blade shoulder (where the tang joins with the blade). The cross guard will ideally be tightly fitted to help support the blade shoulder from lateral stresses - a poorly designed sword can place so much stress on the tang that it may compromise the sword and cause this area to bend or break.

In some cases which cannot be seen unless the sword is taken apart, the tang is a "rat tail" which is a thin, round bar of steel with a threaded end is welded to the blade shoulder. The threaded end allows the pommel (or a pommel nut) to be screwed on to fasten the hilt to the blade. While welds can be very strong and though this may be acceptable for certain knives, bear in mind that a sword is by nature a different instrument than a knife and cannot be made like a larger knife; the weight and force dynamics at work in movement as well as the stresses of use require (1) a tang that is wide enough to endure and absorb impact shock, and (2) will not bend nor break off.

Lateral stresses can cause rat tails to break off due to a concentration of force on so small an area. Some sword hilts have literally broken off swords - they look superb but they don't function quite as well. (Prior to purchasing a sword, be sure to obtain a photograph of the sword blade prior to assembly.)

Another problem with poorly made swords is loose hilts. In some cases, the grip of the hilt is bourne through with a lathe such that the hole is circular. Yet the tang is rectangular or square. In some cases the grip can move around the tang if the sword is rotated briskly left and right.

Some hilts are poorly wrapped. Some manufacturers do not use wood but instead use leather or parachute cord or cotton rope and give the handle a spiral wrap which (1) does not provide for an ergonomic grip, and (2) can come loose. In some cases, the handle wrap is resin-impregnated or epoxied but this may end up being uncomfortable when hands become sweatty. Some swords feature a twisted wire wrap over leather or ray skin. These handles can have "channels" for the wire so that the wire does not come into much contact with the hand. With poorly-made swords, however, there are no such depressions for the wire and thus can cause one's hold on the grip to be most uncomfortable. Handle wraps comprising all wire where the wire is thin can become very uncomfortable to the hands as well.

Summary

• A sword must not only be heat treated well but must encompass various physical design characteristics.
• These characteristics have to do with effective weight distribution.
• Some design flaws in swords are not readily seen and thus require scrutiny.

• Article: "Is My sword Real?" - Sword Forum Magazine Online, January 1999 Edition (accessible via Main Menu.)