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Swords and Steel

Wednesday, January 19th, 2011

medieval sword, handmade sword, medieval sword, hand forged sword I get asked many questions regarding the construction of swords and one of the most popular is what kinds of steel do I think are best? If we are talking about a European medieval sword, which we usually are, then the characteristics of an alloy should satisfy several traits. First, the steel has to be suitably tough. It has to resist shock well. This blade is going to (or at least designed to) encounter wood, cloth, and other metals with regularity. To be able to do this and survive (not break) it must be able to b and manipulate the shock properly. Part of this ability has to do with design and heat-treatment but we are just discussing the steel itself. Second the steel must be able to hold an edge reasonably well.

In general we need to look at a steel with between 50 and 75 points of carbon in it. That means between 0.50% and 0.75% carbon. A little carbon goes along way. Over the years I have found that steels with a higher carbon content tend to be a little brittle when used in longer blades. Plain carbon steel like 1080 and 1095 work just fine but their toughness is somewhat less than the other steels we will discuss. Steels with less than 50 points of carbon are generally too soft and do not harden to a great degree, making a blade that will be tough as can be but won’t hold an edge and will stay bent if flexed. Alloys with between 50 and 75 points of carbon also help satisfy our other desire, holding an edge. A word about sword edges. It is not absolutely vital for a sword to have a razor sharp thin edge. Taking into account the physics involved you can (and I have on various test mediums) cause tremendous amounts of damage with a flat edge. Obviously a sharp edge will cut more efficiently. That is after all what we are looking for; the ability to end a hostile encounter in the quickest manner possible. A sharp sword helps meet this goal better than a dull one. So we definitely want a blade steel that will take and hold a good edge.

So what do I use?

Over the years I have tried several steels for sword blades. As stated previously, 1080 and 1095 work fine but tend to be a little brittle. A broken sword is just as bad as a bent one, if not worse. 1050, 1060, and 1075 are all excellent plain carbon steels with the right amount of carbon to satisfy our criteria. S-1 and S-5 are low alloy steels used for chipping and riveting pneumatic tools and as such tend to absorb shock very well. Their edge-holding ability leaves a little to be desired however. 5160 seems to be about ideal in my opinion. 5160 has about 60 points of carbon in it but also contains several other elements to increase its toughness such as chromium and silicon. Chromium increases the depth penetration of hardening processes and the responsiveness to heat-treatment. Silicon increases the tensile strength and hardenability of a steel. Both of these elements are found in small quantities in 5160 (less than 1% each) but this is enough to impart their desirable characteristics into the steel. 5160 is commonly used in automotive leaf springs (though I always use new steel bar stock, not recycled springs). It holds an edge quite well, and resists shock very well. This steel seems to me to be about ideal for non-laminated sword blades.

A note about stainless steels for sword blades. I have experimented with a variety of stainless alloys for swords blades including 420, 440, ATS34, 154CM, and they all exhibited a high degree of brittleness; they broke. Companies that use stainless steels for sword blades compensate for this by making the blades thicker and tempering them softer making the blade heavy, unwieldy, and unable to hold an edge well. To me this is unacceptable. I have tested blades forged from 5160 (made by myself and others) extensively through the years and with proper design and heat-treatment as well as good forging technique, they perform admirably.

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Tags: 5160, blade, medieval sword, steel, sword
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The Feel of a Handmade Knife

Friday, August 13th, 2010

Many people say that there is a distinct difference between a machine made knife and a hand forged blade produced in the old world manner of anvil and hammer. Some would argue the major differences arise from the nature of the materials involved or the shaping of the blade itself. This is a long standing debate, but what must be realized is that there is much more to this argument than meets the eye.

A piece of the bladesmith’s soul is forged into every blade. The ancient art of forging blades carries a sliver from the soul of every smith into the work. The romance of the bladesmithing profession, steeped in mystery and secrecy for centuries, imbues some metaphysical essence into the steel. Thousands of people notice the difference between a handmade blade and a machine made blade. There is a definite change in the steel and myself when forging a blade from beginning to end. As if a part of me goes with every blade made. Perhaps the extraordinary abilities of such swords as Durendal and Excaliber comes from the soul and hands that forged them.

A deep connection to the past, possibly even past lives, is awoken when holding a hand forged knife or crafting a blade by hand. It is more than just my passion for history. It is more than just an elemental kinship with the materials involved, for we humans contain iron and carbon in our construction just as steel does. That “good” or “right” feeling that we detect comes from more than just the base matter of composition. It is a metaphysical or theological connection to all that ever was and all that is. The experience is certainly positive. A deeper connection to our history and our humanity is made by virtue of the simple physical contact. It stirs the soul, gives us a rush of adrenaline, and causes the eyebrow to rise in response to the primal and barely conscious perception of collective human connection.

We have all picked up a blade that just didn’t feel right. It felt “dead” for lack of a better term. Where has the life gone? Did it ever have one? Knives churned out in the hundreds by the industrial machine lack the care and soul of a handmade blade. Without a caring, living, breathing craftsman (or woman) there can be no soul in the blade. While a machine made blade can be for all intents and purposes “perfect” in symmetry and proportion, it also lacks the feel. The little idiosyncrasies of hand craftsmanship give the handmade knife a character and uniqueness unable to be duplicated by a machine. While not “perfect” from a mathematical standpoint, the handmade knife is superior in more than just mechanics. Just as with a favorite tool or item of special significance, the handmade knife gives a certain level of comfort and security to the owner. The owner indeed bonds with the blade’s soul and the two work more efficiently as one.

Those little feelings not perceptible by the eye are what make the true difference. Even between two top-quality knives, one handmade, the other machine made, the handmade knife feels different; it feels better. That feeling is what makes you want to fight the forces of chaos, even if it is in your own backyard. It quickens your pulse and puts a spring in your step. Your nostrils flare and your muscles flex. Cutting vegetables or make-believe trolls. Defending hearth and home. While not every handmade blade may be physically beautiful, the light within is the true beauty.

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Tags: blade, hand forged, handmade knife, steel
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Medieval European Swords Vs. Japanese Swords

Saturday, July 24th, 2010

The Japanese Katana and the European Longsword. Was one superior to the other or is it apples and oranges? Let’s take a look at the development and characteristics of each one.

The Japanese katana is designed to slice and cut. To accomplish this, the edge must be left very hard from the heat-treating process to retain a very sharp edge. This very hard edge is thus brittle. The katana was not designed to encounter hard materials such as metal armor and other metal weapons on a regular basis. Japanese armor traditionally consists of cloth, wicker, horn, bamboo, and a minimal amount of metal. Japanese sword techniques have traditionally emphasized attack rather than defense with the sword. Position, timing and movement are the defenses of a samauri. The curvature of the blade allows for efficient and deadly draw cuts and slices.

The European longsword by comparison is designed to cut, chop, and stab. It would encounter very hard materials such as swords and other medieval weapons and armor mostly made of metal. To be able to withstand this abuse and not break, the European longsword had to have a great degree of toughness. This was done by tempering the blade to a greater degree of flexibility while reducing the edge-holding ability slightly. The longsword is a weapon with as much emphasis on offense as defense both in its design and technique of use. Position, timing and movement are every bit as important to a European warrior as they are to a Japanese warrior, however the European sword was designed to serve in a far greater capacity of defense.

One design is not inherently superior to the other. Neither is the level of craftsmanship or precision superior one to the other. The European sword and the Japanese katana are simply crafted to different sets of design parameters. Would an English knight in Japan be slaughtered? It was every bit as likely that a Japanese samurai would be in England. In the duels that my brother and I have enacted, using occidental and oriental techniques and equipment, we have not seen a clear demonstrable superiority of one over the other. I happen to love both western and eastern martial arts and their equipment.