care and feeding a sword?

[Randall Pleasant]

Jaron

Looking forward to training with you at the 2005 International Event.

[David Kite]

Well, as long as it happened, let's try and learn something from it.

A few questions, Jaron:

1) What brand and Oakeshott type was the other blade?

2) When the edge of your Sempach struck the flat of the other blade, was that when your edge was nicked/ dulled? How badly?

3) Did the edge of your Sempach leave any significant indentations/ marks on the flat of the opposing blade?

4) When the opposing blade struck your Sempach (essentially the opposite of the previous questions) did the opposing edge mar the flat of Sempach? Or were nicks/dings on the intersecting planes where two of the flats joined? If so, how badly? (it is a hexagonal blade after all, and so essentially six-sided) I'm not asking about the sharpened edges for this question.

5) How badly damaged was the opposing blade's edge?

6) Could you take pictures and post them?


Lance, I pose the same questions to you, plus:

What were the brands and Oakeshott types of your two weapons?


David Kite
ARMA in IN

[Jaron Bernstein]

"1) What brand and Oakeshott type was the other blade?"

Don't know the Oakshott type. I think it was a MRL Towton blunt but I could be wrong. It was a cutter (more parellel edged than sharply tapered) longsword.

"2) When the edge of your Sempach struck the flat of the other blade, was that when your edge was nicked/ dulled? How badly?"

Well, I received a cut from the other blade in a hangen. with what I thought was good alignment. There was no bounce, it just slid right down and around, with a distinct ring. This left a small skid mark on the flat. It also collected a small nick or 2 on the strong of the sword, most likely at the initial contact.

For whatever reason the ricasso on my Sempach is sharpened. When I did kron, again as it "collected" the other blade near the cross, again, small nicks on the strong near the cross.

"3) Did the edge of your Sempach leave any significant indentations/ marks on the flat of the opposing blade?"

Yup. Pretty much at the point of contact. Despite what seemed like great care and very slow technique. Makes me wonder how people do this at speed without damaging their blades.

"4) When the opposing blade struck your Sempach (essentially the opposite of the previous questions) did the opposing edge mar the flat of Sempach? Or were nicks/dings on the intersecting planes where two of the flats joined? If so, how badly? (it is a hexagonal blade after all, and so essentially six-sided) I'm not asking about the sharpened edges for this question."

There is a scratch on the highest point of the flat, most likely from where the other blade slid down in the hangen.


"5) How badly damaged was the opposing blade's edge?"

About the same. Also, all the nicks are on the strong, so we are at least receiving the cuts on the right area, if not with the flat properly.

"6) Could you take pictures and post them?"

Not with my computer illiteracy <img src="/forum/images/icons/crazy.gif" alt="" /> . I know how to do email, look at websites and use word processing programs (sort of).

Jeff the younger may have some thoughts on the blade damage also.

[Lance Chan]

The blunt is just cheapo chinese made sword, a katana shape. The sharp is a tinker XVIIIa.

The damage was about 1 mm wide and deep with the ding. The blunt area on my tinker's edge while striking the blunt sword's flat is much larger... about 1/2 of the target sword's blade width.

Yes, the cheapo blunt sword suffered much larger mark than the tinker did. I mean... MUCH LARGER.

The impact marred my tinker sword just a little bit.

No pictures for it was done years when I first got my tinker sword.

[Joe Fults]

Really depends on the type of scabbard and the humidity where you store it. Leather is not good on the steel long term. A good wood scabbard with a decent lining should not cause much problem.

[Joe Fults]

Sharps will take a bite out of you in an instant.

Sure the alignment issue was not your partners?

[Jaron Bernstein]

I kind of figured that as the one blocking the cut, I should make the proper edge alignment. You can hardly ask you attacker to cooperate with you.

In any event, steel is on hold until I get a blunt.

J.

[James_Knowles]

To beat a dead horse:

Sharps can cut deeply and severely with little effort.

My story:

I cut my finger to the bone on a sharp spearhead a year or two ago. The sheath didn't fit right, and when moving it from the garage to the basement I accidently bumped the sheath with my hand. I felt nothing but a very slight bump, but something inside my head said, "check out the hand."

I looked and saw an amazing sight -- finger sliced to the bone. Perfectly clean, arrow-straight cut. The capilaries had recessed and I could see all the fleshy details. Quite fascinating, really. I touched the finger and all the capilaries flooded forth. Yikes! Inside! To the first aid kit!

The only good thing about it was that it was the side of my finger where there are no tendons or blood vessels of significant size.

I took care of the wound (strategically placed butterflies and some babying for a week) and it healed with narry a scar. Very good news, but what's a serious wound without a big ugly scar? <img src="/forum/images/icons/grin.gif" alt="" />

[Jaron Bernstein]

"Very good news, but what's a serious wound without a big ugly scar? "

I seem to recall a comment in some manual about one eyed fencing masters with missing teeth.