Test Cutting

[DavidEvans]

I did my first test cutting session last night and rediscovered things I already knew. We were cutting water soaked reed mats with a nice heft to them. I already know the feeling of a good shot and discovered that a good cut that slices clean thro the mats has a similar feel to it, just before you start to move. With the right focus there is no feeling of effort, just a smooth motion that finishes with the longsword in the Fool guard and a piece of the mat 10 feet away on the floor. Other members of the group had spoken of the shock of impact has you strike the mats but I didn't feel a thing, when the cut was a good one.

[Allen Johnson]

What kind of blade were you using to cut with?

[Lance Chan]

You're right. When the cut is good, there are less impact felt than when the cut is bad because the force isn't lost in rebound during a good cut and momentum followed through smoothly during the penetration, as opposed to a bad cut where the momentum was halted sharply by the large friction caused in the penetration.

[JeffGentry]

Hey David

I have only test cutt once with a lutel blunt on watermelon's, i am thinking that with a sharp on mat's if you have good technique and edge alignment there would be no "shock of impact has you strike the mats".

splitting woood with a sharp axe is also fairly easy if you have good axe technique, now a dull axe is another story.

In my test cutting i was amazed how sharp a blunt actualy was i.e. blunt as in as it came from the manufacturer with out the effort of being sharpened. I am looking forward to doing some test cutting with a sharp on some real meat and bone sometime(i need to get my hand's on a sharp) just to see what it does to the bone, am pretty sure it will go right through the flesh part i want to see how it does on a joint too as in will it easily cutt the arm off at the elbow or knee.

i guess i am a sicko lol, i am realy fascinated by why people think that longsword's are weilded like an axe and there is no skill or sharpness to them and finding out what a properly sharpened one weilded properly will do.

glad your test cutting went well i know mine was a learning experience as far as how to weild the sword with the proper alignment, that is why we do it.

Jeff

[Lance Chan]

You may want to take a look at this as a "mental preparation" for your meat and bone test cutting. <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" /> It contains result of cutting at joint, fat parts and fingers...


http://www.rsw.com.hk/lancelotcut5-9-04.zip
(mpg format)

[Mike Cartier]

careful you don't fall off the roof there Lance!!

[Joe Fults]

Jeff,

We'll have your test cutting itch scratched a bit before too long. Although the pending session will work with lighter targets, things about feel still hold true. When the target does not resist the cut, cuts that feel wrong have a tendancy to bend or move the target instead of cut it. Decent form still feels right and cuts.

[JeffGentry]

Hey Joe
A simple fact of life form follow's function, wrong form bad function, or no function, I am a big fan of proper technique it will normaly make thing's easier to do.

Jeff

[DavidEvans]

A Del Tin hand and a half, don't know which model but the quillions curve forwards. Doesn't hold an edge well....