Despite technological progress, echoes of medieval times can still be found in various areas of human life. Most often, a similar effect is found in weapon craftsmanship. The best representatives of this phenomenon are swords with modern names, as well as their ancient ancestors.
Sword - what is it?
A sword is a melee weapon whose blade is much larger than the entire hilt. The first products of this type had one of the possible effects: chopping, stabbing and cutting. Modern swords are more advanced models, so they can combine several features at once.
Today, products can be made from different grades of steel: stainless, unalloyed carbon, spring, tool, Damascus.
What parts does it consist of
In the photo of modern swords you can see that their structure does not differ from their predecessors, which consisted of the following parts:
- Blade - the main working area of steel swords, can have a blade on one or both sides of the weapon. And with a bladenot the entire part of the blade is called: the lateral sharp edge is considered a blade, and the cutting end is considered a point.
- A handle is a part of a weapon designed to be grasped with one or both hands.
- Pommel - the spherical part of the sword, located on the opposite end from the blade. There are swords with other pommel shapes, but its functions are the same there and in classic models - to set the center of gravity in the hand area for more comfortable work with weapons.
- Garda - a detail provided to protect the hands of its owner. It can be of several types: net-like, crossed, shoe-shaped, cup-shaped. Its presence is optional, so some modern swords are made without a guard. In others, it is supplemented by a counterguard (defense).
Additional points regarding the description of modern swords:
- Having a special part subjected to the most minimal processing. It is not present in all swords, but has been preserved in history due to its huge influence on the capabilities of weapons. It is known as ricasso, choil or blade heel.
- Built-in fuller, which is presented as a slot or groove on the blade part of some swords. There is no clear opinion about its purpose, but thanks to the efforts of researchers, a list of its possible functions has been compiled.
- Efes - a definition that combines guard, hilt and pommel.
Blade
The blade is the main working area of edged weapons, performing clear functions: stabbing, cutting, chopping. It can be sharpened on one or both sides, and also have a built-infake blade.
In the zone of the blade, elements of the fuller are often located, facilitating its weight while maintaining the same indicators of strength and rigidity, like the structure of an I-beam. The blade area can either have or be made without the slightest hint of a point (an example can be found among the Vikings, who did not have decent armor, so did not need piercing elements). The place from the middle of the percussion to the point is considered the weak part of the blade area, so it is not recommended to fight off oncoming blows with it. Stronger elements are located between the middle of the percussion and the hilt, and the part from the pommel to the center of the percussion is already considered the middle of the blade itself.
In the unsharpened area of modern swords, the brand of the manufacturer is better guessed. Japanese masters prefer to put brand names on the shanks (the place passing through the hilt zone) under the handle. Hilt and blade are connected in this way:
- When a shank is not provided in the blade structure, a small metal bar is welded to this area and passed through the handle. This version of the connection of the parts of the sword is found mainly on modern weapons intended for decorative purposes. In the manufacture of real swords, it is unacceptable, otherwise the weapon will break at the welding points at the time of fencing.
- In the manufacture of swords for fencing, the shank is formed from a part of the blade, ensuring the integrity of these parts. This method ensures maximum strength of the entire structure. The shank must pass through the handle and be fixed on it, in some cases toparts of the hilt and threads for installing the pommel are added to it. In some modern swords, the pommel is fixed with screws, holding the entire hilt, thereby making it possible to disassemble the sword if necessary.
- The shank of the knives and the machete are identical in width to the blade, and the shape resembles the curves of the handle itself. Many of the best modern swords in Europe and Asia are of this kind.
Sometimes a leather strip is attached to the ricasso area, which is called a rain guard. Its task is to protect the sheath from water ingress. In addition, among the swords made in the 18th century, one can see specially curved weapons, whose radius is equal to the distance from the owner’s shoulder to the blade itself. This feature increased the effectiveness of the sword, whose functions were complemented by the ability to saw through living flesh. In European weapons, such a radius could reach one meter. Oriental swords could not boast of the same, as they were adapted for fencing with bent arms.
Ephesus
This definition combines several parts of the sword: hilt, pommel and guard, responsible for the control and quality of work with the blade. The exception was the pommel, designed to balance bladed weapons and girth.
From the beginning of the 17th century, firearms adapted for long-range combat became more popular. Blacksmiths responded to this new innovation by developing basket-style hilts that protected the wearer's hands from enemy blows, thereby eliminating the need to wear plate gloves. This work has had a positive impact ondemand for swords, although they were more suitable for close attack options.
Handle
Handle - a wooden or metal part of the sword, designed to be grasped by hands. Some of them are covered with shark or pebble skin. Since the beginning of the 19th century, rubber has been used in the manufacture of handles. All the material was glued to the main part, and then fixed with wire.
The handles were not always held with both hands. In the thick of the battle, where all the warriors were equipped with full-fledged plate equipment, the handle of any sword was held with only one hand, while the other at that time clasped the blade, inflicting strong piercing blows. This fighting method was called the "half-sword technique".
Pommel
Also known as apple and pommel. This is the ball-shaped part of the sword, located at the end of the handle. On any edged weapon designed for fencing, you can see the pommel that regulates the balance according to the preferences of a particular owner. It is one of the only elements of the sword that has retained its original function.
In some combat techniques with modern swords, you can see techniques based on using the pommel as a mace. Due to the variety of their shapes (discs, crescents, deformed spheres), such blows can cause serious damage to the enemy without taking his life. The swords used in special ceremonies have metal ornaments and jewels on the pommel.
Garda
Guard - a built-in part designed to protect the owner's hand from the opponent's sword andsudden sliding onto the dangerous area of the blade.
The first guards resembled with their parameters straight crossbars, located perpendicular to the blade area. Starting from the 16th century, more complex details appeared in their composition, resembling loops and curly waves, additionally protecting the hand from possible cuts and scratches. A little later they were supplemented with decorative elements.
In the 17th century, in the process of making swords, in addition to the guard, they began to use another protection of a rounded shape with a diameter of about 5 cm. Based on this information, it is believed that this is how modern versions of swords and rapiers appeared.
Ricasso
Specific raw part, located in the area of the blade, almost close to the handle. It was first discovered on weapons made during the Bronze Age. Thanks to the ricasso, the masters varied the size of the sword handle, influencing the ability of the weapon at the time of fencing and stabbing. Therefore, this element can be seen on swords of completely different lengths: one and a half, ordinary knives, rapiers, two-handed, claymores, and so on. On the blades of two-handed swords, the ricasso ends with a counterguard, designed to protect the hand at the moment of grasping this area. In the process of making knives, a ricasso is also often included, designed to help the future owner balance the bladed weapon and control the pressure it produces with just a few fingers.
Dol
Dol is a built-in recess or a specially provided slot on the main part of the blade. Researchers do not have specificopinions about its purpose. Some consider it to be a blood flow that facilitates the flow of blood at the moment the sword hits the enemy’s body, others - a functional feature that helps save material without affecting the strength of the finished product.
If there is a fuller, the main load directed to the sword is distributed along the edges, freeing the middle of the weapon from pressure. Such an impact enhances the rigidity of the blade, slightly affecting the overall weight of the product. The same principle holds if it is necessary to reduce the weight of the sword without affecting the rigidity of the main area. Experts say that the general structure of an I-beam was copied from such swords.
Despite the uncertainty about the dols, they left an impressive mark on the memory of participants and researchers of military events. Therefore, they continue to be made as part of modern titanium swords, whose length does not differ in impressive dimensions. This has affected the functionality of built-in elements, which are now purely aesthetic, more for show than for specific purposes.
Features of Japanese swords
Different forms of curves, a striking blade with a cutting edge, a comfortable handle and a minimal presence of a guard - the first thing that comes to mind when mentioning modern combat swords in Japan. The local masters are unique blacksmiths who managed to create many types of weapons that share common features (katana, nagitana, wakizashi, and so on). They used metal in their manufacture.of the highest quality and spared no effort in the process of working out every detail. Therefore, it is not surprising that modern Japanese swords are sky-high and are designed for a specific samurai.
Japanese dual blade technique (often swords of different types and from different metals) has become a legend of military art. Neighboring nations tried to adopt it, but the Arabs achieved more success in this field. Europeans created their own fencing style with a sword and dagger, partly copying the Japanese technique. But this version has not yet been confirmed. Therefore, some researchers are of the opinion that national martial arts developed in parallel to each other, without intersecting.
What categories are modern weapons divided into
Although this weapon has not been used during the period of hostilities for a long time, and modern gladiator swords are, in fact, analogues of real products, it still does not lose popularity to this day. Therefore, now you can find blacksmiths specializing in the manufacture of weapons that are no different from the swords of medieval times. Products of masters can be divided into certain groups:
Replicas of real weapons - copies of blades made in ancient times, and which have come down to us through archaeological finds and creativity
Blacksmiths scrupulously calculate and compare all possible parameters of ancient weapons in order to create a similar copy, practically no different from the original. To avoid inaccuracies inthe manufacturing process uses only those methods that were known to the blacksmiths of that time, without the slightest participation of modern technologies. Masters look for the missing information in sources directly related to fencing and weaponry. The photo of a modern replica sword shows that the only thing that distinguishes a copy from the original is the lack of sharpening. Otherwise, the replicas are so identical to real swords that even medieval dukes and kings could not distinguish them from their weapons.
Sports swords - weapons made of steel or duralumin without fuller and with small traces of adhesions
It is more affordable than a real replica, has a perfectly adjusted balance and practically does not differ from the medieval original. Such weapons are in demand among fans of historical fencing (people who recreate medieval battles and duels).
Tournament swords are modern combat sports products with a quality mark
They are more replica-like, with detailed polishing and a fully functioning dol. They are used by participants in tournaments of republican and state importance, where they are subject to serious requirements regarding weapons and appearance.
Training swords are initial versions of real weapons
Essentially, these are raw swords made of modern steel, whose handle is sometimes wrapped with ordinaryrope. These weapons are heavier, but have a low cost, which makes them a favorite training element for beginner fencers.
