The reasons for common misconceptions

[Mike_McGurk]

Today I was looking at a friend's blunt "hand-and-a-half" sword (little more than a tapering arming sword) and noted that the edges were riddle with nicks. I handed it to Vu, one of my sparring partners and asked him "What way was this tool being used for parrying?".
His answer, "The wrong way."
I am only relating this experience because it led me to realize something: perhaps the reason there are so many misconceptions regarding the sword is not unique to weapons alone. To make a point I will draw from meteorology:
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If you didn't know the answer, ask yourself why. It wasn't because you are stupid but rather because you didn't need to know it. Anyone who has ever actually cut with a sword knows that a nicked blade doesn't cut correctly.
The myth of the damaged blade cutting effectively isn't unique to european swords either, I have seen countless modern illustrations of samurai using damaged weapons. What I think it boils down to is that the public knows only what it has experience with and what it needs to know. Lets face it, all the public really needs to know about swords is that they were designed to kill and were used for that purpose, it is only those who should know about swords (i. e. historical fencers, museum curators who claim to be experts on the subject, sword makers etc.) who can be blamed for ignorance and over whose ignorance and poisoned tongues frustration is not a waste of energy. Just as anyone who seriously studies tornados would have gotten the above question right, any serious student of sword knows that edge on edge parrying is but one of many weapon myths. Feel free to agree and to disagree.

[John_Clements]

I like your reasoning here. It's very pragmatic. (Though, it is possible for edges to sustain damage in other ways during combat activities, such as from hitting resistant hard targets or clashing against the edge of another oncoming cut)

JC

[Mike_McGurk]

I agree but, as you beyond all doubt know better than most martial artists, a warrior would likely discard a badly damaged blade after battle, as his life was balanced on its cutting edge. The weapon I spoke of in the post clearly did not sustain accidental damage however, but rather was covered with over a hundred nicks per edge and had apparently only been used twice. I don't blame the owner because he had clearly never fought with a sword before, as this was intended to be a thrusting sword but was employed in a manner similar to the earlier paralled edged longswords.