In e-mail John has asked for my thoughts on this subject and he wanted to share them here suggesting that I could be referred to as an anonymous source, but that strongly goes against my principle of not saying anything that cannot be said in front of all concerned. I have always owned up to anything I write and that is the main reason I insist on using my full name, as I would sign it, as my I.D. on any forum. I hope I can provide some input for my friend John while not being too much at odds with my friend Tinker (as I still hope to have that cigar and drink with him one of these years in Atlanta).
I hold a somewhat more reserved position on this topic, and must admit to not being highly knowledgeable as to its subtleties; it is a field that I have not found the need to do much research or testing in so it has remained low on my radar screen. I think it is common sense to recognize that any object oscillates or “vibrates” in waves with parts that must rest in the middle of the amplitudes, heck even a Louisville slugger has a sweet spot, but what does it mean? It means that due to cross sections and centers of mass, certain areas of any object swung in your hand will be optimum for striking. While some have put a lot of effort into developing a science around it, I have always found it easier just to pick the thing up and feel where it wants to strike. Unfortunately this creates a situation where only the more dubious aspects tend to stick in the forefront of my mind.
Some folks have focused their selling point on the “Harmonic Balance” thing enough that they need to totally embrace it. This is not a criticism it is just realistic, my selling point is the metallurgical aspects and optimizing heat treatment, so it wouldn’t make any sense for me to suddenly go neo-tribal and say that all those “ites” are gibberish and salt baths are a gimmick, and that I am now triple quenching my blades in lard, while facing magnetic north. As Tinker has also expressed, to me the words “Harmonic Balance” are theatrical enough in themselves that I have a hard time saying them, but it is a good attention grabbing marketing term. I have seen much worse and potentially harmful angles used in our business.
It is taking things to the level of a new field of science that I feel is excessive. My thoughts, that I have shared with Tinker, are that a well proportioned blade will zig and zag where it should, one doesn’t need a slide rule to work it out (we both agreed that neither of us are good enough with math to make swords if that was necessary <img src="/forum/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" /> ).
I have seen some outrageous claims made in the field as well, and this has roused the skeptic in me. When I see claims like alloys or hard solders used on the tang may effect the “harmonics”, or that secret 3rd or even 4th nodes have been discovered, I am intrigued (or amused) as this thing starts to slant to the metaphysical. I have had devout followers of this topic criticize my swords with ricasso because the harmonics have been thrown off, it is all I can do not to just ask if they kidding or are truly that obtuse.
It has indeed reached mystical proportions at times, drawing upon what I call the ancestor worship phenomenon, (the ancients had secrets and wisdom we mere mortals cannot fathom). When I see hand-wringing and speculation over the advantages in harmonics that could explain the fuller running up onto the tang, because the ancients knew something we didn’t, well we need to just step back and take a deep breath and think about what happens to the profile of a blade if one stops short of the tang while forging in a fuller. Before we go leaping into harmonic pyramid power, let’s consider Occams Razor.
In conclusion, I have not seen anything that would lead me to believe that Tinker has gone overboard with a pseudo science, but some consumers will singularly latch onto areas such as this in an unrealistic way until you have groups of young people walking from table to table at a show, divining every attribute of a sword by thumping the pommel with a scrying gaze at the blade (it is good entertainment, to be honest). My view is that there are some swords that “wobble” in the wrong places, but they have to be atrociously made to do so. Form does indeed follow function, but when it does function will follow form, and now as in the distant past, making a well balanced and proportioned design will naturally put the nodes where they belong without the need to design a blade around them. Studying a good original piece is worth all the node chasing one could do.
