Tools suffering damage I understand, but I wonder if its the right tool for some jobs as things stand
Joe,
yes, you ought to have the right tool for the job. However, this was a Crecy war sword.
From the Albion web site:
http://albion-swords.com/swords/albion/nextgen/sword-medieval-crecy-xvi.htm Crecy was one of the most decisive battles of the 100 Years War. After the battle of Sluys, Edward III landed in Normandy in July 1346 with about 10,000 men. The French pursued. Edward III decided to halt near Crecy in Normandy and to prepare for battle the next day.
However, the French vanguard made contact and started to attack without the benefit of a plan. The French made as many as 15 attacks and the English checked each one in turn, primarily thanks to the English longbowmen. In the end, the French were decimated and the English had a decisive victory.
The Crecy is one type of sword that would have seen service on both sides during the 100 Years War.
Oakeshott describes the Type XVIa as having a long, tapering blade, broad at the hilt, with a sharp, often reinforced, point.
The Crecy is a fine example of a later period epee de guerre, or war sword, a refinement of the earlier XIIa in response to changes in the armour of the period.
From the Arador Armour Library:
http://www.arador.com/articles/spaulders.html Figure 15 is that of Sir Hugh Despenser (Tewkesbury Abbey, Gloucestershire) from 1349. Sir Hugh exhibits spaulders that are of the same form seen previously, but is perhaps the strongest example to draw from. The date of this depiction, and those of Figures 7, 8, and 14 reinforces the conclusion that the fully developed spaulder appeared by the 1350s. This form remained fashionable for 50 years as will be seen on the following page. Spaulder representations that may be construed as leather virtually vanish at this time, so it will be assumed from here on that they are iron unless specifically noted otherwise.
Now I might be wrong... and it wouldn't be the first time... but I would think that a "
War Sword" would have been expected and designed to have at least seen incidental contact with armour.
The deer leg Bill cut was off a deer that was legal, but barely. It was young, and the
outside diameter of the leg was smaller than my first two fingers together. I have medium sized hands. To me, that means each of the two lower leg bones were smaller than one of my fingers.
I would think that a sword that was made to fight someone in metal armour should not be defeated be just having the knight switching to bone and hide armour. I would also think that a sword that was designed to fight an armoured opponent should survive undamaged contact with bone, no matter
how old and hard the bone was.
What I
have learned from this is I need to buy the cheapest functional sword I can because I want to
use it. I can get one like that for around $100. More than that, and apparently you are paying for a piece of sculpture, not a better made, more functional sword.
"A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand." Lucius Annaeus Seneca 4BC-65AD.
