Before arriving at the essence of this exercise for the single sword, and explaining to you its true principles, you must learn how the sword should be mounted. Leave the intricate knowledge of the sword’s various parts to the Furbisher. Surely no one is unacquainted with the basic parts—the Guard, the Handle, the Blade, and the Scabbard. These are all a Gentleman must know; there is no need to embarrass him with talk of quillon blocks, of quillons, of the plate, the [pas-d’anes] and all manner of guards and counterguards. Thus I pass over these irrelevent things in silence and come to a matter of the first importance: namely, how to mount the sword.

The hilt of your sword ought to have a knuckleguard to guarantee the safety of the hand. Some people prefer the sword without such a guard, and although I would rather have one (considering the hilt with knuckleguard to be more convenient for service), I am of the opinion that every man will choose according to his own inclination. After all, while the knuckleguard may protect the fingers from cuts [d’estramaçon], it could be dangerous at close quarters [aux prizes – i.e., during a seizure, when the fingers may be trapped in the guard].

The narrow section at the end of the blade that passes through the guard, the handle and the pommel is called the tang. To accommodate the tang, the opening through the quillon block and the pommel should be generously cut—it is far better to have a large opening through the guard and pommel than to file down the tang to fit a small one. If the opening is too large, the Furbisher can insert bits of wood to make a tight fit. Be careful at this juncture, for the Furbisher might file down the tang too much in order to save himself the trouble of widening the holes through the quillon block and the pommel. If he does this, no amount of wood inserted in the hollow space will give the sword a tight fit. Therefore, I advise you to observe the mounting process personally—otherwise you risk becoming one of the many men who, after making the slightest parry or beat, is shocked to find his sword falling apart in his hand, leaving him open to serious mishaps. Above all, make sure that the tang is riveted securely at the end of the pommel.

After speaking of the qualities necessary in the guard, we should now turn to the blade. Depending on your preference, you may choose a blade between two and a half and three feet in length. As far as I am concerned, this is as long as the blade can be. To insure the blade’s quality, you should inspect it from the point to the tang—above the [arreste?] and inside, if it has a triangular cross-section; above both [arrestes?], if it has a square section. Look for minor flaws in the form of small holes. Some will run along the width of the blade, others along the length—the latter are not so dangerous. If you find no faults, the next step is to thrust against the wall and see if the blade forms a good arc when it flexes:

• If the flex starts near the point and the rest of the blade remains straight, this is a major fault.

• If the blade remains bent after flexing, this is a sign that the temper is poor—although it is better for the blade to flex and remain a little bent than not to flex at all, which is the mark of too hard a temper and means the blade might easily break. But when the blade bends just a little, this may not be a fault. On the contrary, this may be the best sign of a soft temper.

• If the blade flexes nicely from the point to within a foot of the guard (which is the sword’s forte), this is the mark of a quality blade.