Actual Medieval Weapons were NOT Perfect IPostSwords 2023-05-02 | Today, we're beating a dead horse.You've already heard from Matt Easton, Leo Todeschini, Skallagrim and more about this topic, but allow me to wax poetic about a specific late medieval example of medieval imperfection.This dagger is likely from 1490, and Flemish. The low countries (such as Belgium) experienced their transition from medieval to renaissance between approximately 1500 and 1550, so this dagger dates from a period during which great attention was paid to artistry.AND YET, the blade is askew. It is not perfectly aligned with the guard, or the grip. And that was okay, even though it made edge alignment more difficult.Modern standards are not the same as historical standards, and part of that comes down to the sheer number of swords, daggers and other arms and armor that needed to be produced in order to meet the demands of the era.Modern reproductions primarily serve collectors, or sportspeople in the case of fencing swords. Historical weapons were used, in anger and in war. Standards were sometimes necessarily relaxed in order to meet that high demand.Related Content: Matts video - youtube.com/watch?v=NaDmY4jaatITods video - youtube.com/watch?v=YXQCWSgP0PsSkalls video - youtube.com/watch?v=xTUWGbjcC_k
PSA: Sharp swords arent sparring safe. #minikatana IPostSwords 2023-11-25 | PSA: "Sharp models are (not) sparring safe"This is a vendor page for a sword, likely made by "Erik steelcrafts", also known as OTCThey formerly used to fill baulur arms contracts for KOA before being dropped for lying about their steel and making poor quality products.see here:kultofathena.com/an-update-on-steel-claims-balaur-arms-and-devils-edgeHere, the vendor mini.katana advocates, verbatim, "SHARP MODELS ARE SPARRING SAFE"Sharp swords are not safe to spar with. Do not spar with sharp swords. People die doing this.
Crucible Damascus Steel: A Response to The Welsh Viking IPostSwords 2023-06-27 | "Damascus" steel is a topic which is often discussed here on youtube - and rarely is it discussed with the necessary level of nuance.Today I am responding to a video by The Welsh Viking, @TheWelshViking on the topic of Damascus steel. Overall, this video was better than most - but still perpetuated some myths, falsehoods and widely believed misinformation.Articles Mentioned: https://www.academia.edu/35997825/Islamic_Swords_ch_3_Kindi_on_Swords_commentaryonlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/arcm.12503sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S030544032030145XWriteup for the last time someone made a video on "Damascus" a month ago:reddit.com/r/badhistory/comments/13k8b3r/sideprojects_doesnt_understand_damascus_steelVideos:The Welsh Vikingyoutube.com/watch?v=DmRNIT_ZFHsSide Projectsyoutube.com/watch?v=hq5Gsw38apcSecrets of the Exhibit youtube.com/watch?v=4BfKf2ojP5E"Damascus steel" usually refers to two main types of steel:The most common you'll see made today is "pattern-welded steel", where alternating layers of nickel rich and nickel deplete steel are stacked, forge welded, and folded or manipulated to create a pattern. The blade is then polished and etched to reveal the layers. While modern pattern welded blades typically use nickel containing steels to maximise contrast, historically this was not usually the case.This method of construction using stacked, folded or otherwise forge welded, dissimilar* steels is how the majority of sword steels were made, worldwide, until advances in technology allowed for the use of more homogenous steel products. Pattern welding, and variants such as multibar patterns and laminated blades, were used widely and includes swords like spatha, “viking” swords, katana and more. It is worth noting that even "monosteel" swords which were made without the use of dissimilar steel, but still made from bloomery or refined blast furnace steel, were also subject to similar stacking, folding and forge welding techniques.*Bloom is here considered to contain multiple dissimilar steels due to the heterogeneous nature of bloom.**Utsa / Wootz (sanskrit - and mistranslated sanskrit), Pulad (Persian), Fuladh (Arabic), Bulat (Russian), Polat (Turkish) and Bintie (Chinese) are all names for ultra-high carbon crucible steel typified by carbide segregation, which can be otherwise referred to as "crucible damascus steel".In the present day, this is the type you will see chef’s knives, swords, and even pocket knives being made of, and it can range from being rather cheap to incredibly expensive depending on the materials and workmanship.The other type of "Damascus Steel" is a form of hypereutectoid, pattern forming crucible steel.And that is what I will be discussing today, as it was the primary topic of the video. It is a hypereutectoid steel, which means that it has over 0.8% carbon by definition. It is formed by liquifying steel in a crucible, and is NOT produced by folding or layering steel. The typical composition is around 1% to 2% carbon, which by modern standards makes this an “ultra-high carbon steel”, often abbreviated as UHCS.It is formed by melting steel with specific impurities in a crucible (historically, made of high kaolin content clay, rice husks as chaff, quartz sands, and other additives), and the process of turning this crucible “charge” into steel is quite complicated, with the potential for failure to produce an attractive pattern being high if any part of the process is not conducted correctly.
Restoration of an Indian Golia / Tulwar via Chelation (Preview) IPostSwords 2023-06-09 | This is an Indian Tulwar, with a heavily curved blade. Depending on definitions, it can also be called a Golia, derived from the Punjabi word for "round". It is heavily corroded and has a cracked blade. EDTA chelation with the addition of citric acid was used in an agar gel to address the corrosion.**Regarding "conservation" vs "restoration":**Excerpt: Resolution adopted by the ICOM-CC membership at the 15th Triennial Conference, New Delhi, 22-26 September 2008 Terminology to characterize the conservation of tangible cultural heritage"The ICOM-CC adopts the following terms: “preventive conservation”, “remedial conservation”, and “restoration” which together constitute “conservation” of the tangible cultural heritage.These terms are distinguished according to the aims of the measures and actions they encompass.This project showcases remedial conservation - "all actions directly applied to an item or a group of items aimed at arresting current damaging processes or reinforcing their structure. These actions are only carried out when the items are in such a fragile condition or deteriorating at such a rate, that they could be lost in a relatively short time. These actions sometimes modify the appearance of the items."And restoration – "all actions directly applied to a single and stable item aimed at facilitating its appreciation, understanding and use. These actions are only carried out when the item has lost part of its significance or function through past alteration or deterioration. They are based on respect for the original material. Most often such actions modify the appearance of the item."**Conservation Method:**As this sword was not able to be safely disassembled and has a crack in the blade, many of the typical methods which rely on submersion were not suited. Likewise, the lack of flaking corrosion meant that mechanical methods were not suited - such as micro-blading - which are better suited to less strongly adhered corrosion products. An approach was tailored to the needs of this particular sword, given its conditions and materials. This sword was conserved using EDTA chelation with Citric Acid in an Agar hydrogel in order to stabilise the condition, as it had widespread, deep and even corrosion on the entire surface blade, slowly deteriorating the condition and threatening to worsen the crack in the blade.EDTA chelation uses ligand-receptor binding to selectively remove iron oxide while leaving the iron below untouched. It was selected due to the need to preserve details in the elaborately etched blade. The use of gel extends the working time of the solution, preventing evaporation and allowing for more time for the reaction to occur.In this video, a modified gel was used with the addition of a small amount of citric acid, to shift the pH below 7, as acidic conditions also increase the solubility of the iron oxide.This process is adapted from these papers.[sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1296207421001333](sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1296207421001333)[mdpi.com/2310-2861/9/3/191](mdpi.com/2310-2861/9/3/191)Precedent for using EDTA and citric acid on antique swords also shown in this article:[https://www.academia.edu/6832514/Treatment\_and\_restoration\_of\_antique\_sword\_from\_Ottoman\_period\_13\_th\_AH\_19\_th\_AD\_century\_at\_the\_National\_Military\_Museum\_Saladin\_Citadel\_in\_Egypt](https://www.academia.edu/6832514/Treatment_and_restoration_of_antique_sword_from_Ottoman_period_13_th_AH_19_th_AD_century_at_the_National_Military_Museum_Saladin_Citadel_in_Egypt)Overall, each side of the blade took 6 applications of gel. Each gel layer must react for 1 to 2 hours. The entire process took many hours - including the various cleaning steps that occur between gel applications - which will be included in the full video.If you enjoy this content, consider supporting the creation of more conservation videos.patreon.com/IPostSwords**Ethics Considerations:**This particular antique was corroded to a substantial extent and its structural integrity was threatened, as corrosion products developing in the crack of the blade can worsen the crack and potentially fully break the blade.Conservation and restoration allowed for stabilisation of artefact as well as for the underlying construction method of the steel to be respectfully revealed and appreciated by addressing the deterioration, and also allowed for preservation of the object for the future. Care was taken to ensure no undue losses were incurred, and the work was conducted only to a degree where the object was stable, and free of active corrosion products.#restoration #antique #conservation Music: Hej Sokoly. Commonly attributed to Tymko (Tomasz) Padura. Digital Synth.
EDTA and Patience: Restoring an Iranian Sabre from ~1870 (Short Version) IPostSwords 2023-06-03 | SHORT VERSION: Conservation of a Qajar Era Iranian sabre of the so-called "revival style" via EDTA chelation in an Agar Hydrogel.If you enjoy this content, consider supporting the creation of more conservation videos.patreon.com/IPostSwords**Regarding "conservation" vs "restoration":**Excerpt: Resolution adopted by the ICOM-CC membership at the 15th Triennial Conference, New Delhi, 22-26 September 2008 Terminology to characterize the conservation of tangible cultural heritage"The ICOM-CC adopts the following terms: “preventive conservation”, “remedial conservation”, and “restoration” which together constitute “conservation” of the tangible cultural heritage.These terms are distinguished according to the aims of the measures and actions they encompass.This project showcases remedial conservation - "all actions directly applied to an item or a group of items aimed at arresting current damaging processes or reinforcing their structure. These actions are only carried out when the items are in such a fragile condition or deteriorating at such a rate, that they could be lost in a relatively short time. These actions sometimes modify the appearance of the items."And restoration – "all actions directly applied to a single and stable item aimed at facilitating its appreciation, understanding and use. These actions are only carried out when the item has lost part of its significance or function through past alteration or deterioration. They are based on respect for the original material. Most often such actions modify the appearance of the item."**Conservation Method:**As this sword was not able to be safely disassembled, many of the typical methods which rely on submersion were not suited. Likewise, the extensive etchings meant that mechanical methods were not suited - such as micro-blading. An approach was tailored to the needs of this particular sword, given its conditions and materials. This sword was conserved using EDTA chelation in an Agar hydrogel in order to stabilise the condition, as it had widespread but uneven corrosion on the blade, obscuring the etchings and slowly deteriorating the condition.EDTA chelation uses ligand-receptor binding to selectively remove iron oxide while leaving the iron below untouched. It was selected due to the need to preserve details in the elaborately etched blade. The use of gel extends the working time of the solution, preventing evaporation and allowing for more time for the reaction to occur.For the hilt, a modified gel was used with the addition of a small amount of oxalic acid, to shift the pH below 7, as acidic conditions also increase the solubility of the iron oxide.This process is adapted from these papers.[sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1296207421001333][mdpi.com/2310-2861/9/3/191]Precedent for using EDTA on swords also shown in this article:[https://www.academia.edu/6832514/Treatment\_and\_restoration\_of\_antique\_sword\_from\_Ottoman\_period\_13\_th\_AH\_19\_th\_AD\_century\_at\_the\_National\_Military\_Museum\_Saladin\_Citadel\_in\_Egypt]Overall, each side of the blade took 3 applications of gel. The hilt took 6, plus a final double-sided approach. Each gel layer must react for 1 to 2 hours. The entire process therefore took roughly 30 hours including the various cleaning steps that occur between gel applications - which were conducted with alcohol wipes until they no longer showed any signs of corrosion products or residues. Concentrations of EDTA were adjusted to fit the needs of each part of the object, with higher concentrations used on the hilt. As the hilt did not have etched details and was far more thickly corroded, it was considered safe and appropriate to use a more concentrated solution with the addition of oxalic acid, as this did not pose a risk of damaging details on the hilt.**Ethics Considerations:**This particular antique was corroded to a substantial extent and its significance, particularly in terms of representing the cultural aspects it originally embodied, where degraded as a result. This is primarily visible in the corrosion products which had obscured the calligraphy and artistic etching panels. Conservation and restoration allowed for those aspects of the artefact to be respectfully revealed and appreciated by addressing the deterioration, and also allow for preservation of the object for the future. Care was taken to ensure no undue losses were incurred, and the work was conducted only to a degree where the object was stable, and free of active corrosion products.#restoration #antique #conservation Music: Hej Sokoly. Commonly attributed to Tymko (Tomasz) Padura. Digital Synth.
19th Century Iranian Sword Restoration IPostSwords 2023-05-12 | EDTA Chelation used to remove corrosion from a Qajar Era Iranian sabre with etched blade.Full video (1hr30m) on my channel.Music:Gymnopedie No 2 by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100786Artist: http://incompetech.com(version 2)#restoration #antique #conservation
Restoring This Iranian Sabre with EDTA Took 30 Hours. (Long Version) IPostSwords 2023-05-10 | History:This is an Iranian sword from the Qajar era. It is likely from around 1850 to 1880, and is of a form commonly called "qajar revival swords" today. Most of these are straight, and feature thin, flexible blades.They are called "revival" swords because they exhibit decorative features common with earlier swords of the region, such as the downturned beast head quillons.Most of these swords are elaborately etched with calligraphic inscriptions, as is this example. It also features a serpent, one of the most common motifs for these swords, as well as other animal motifs.They are heavily associated with the commemoration of the battle of Karbala, which is remembered during Ashura by Shiite Muslims, in dramatic re-enactments and passion plays (Ta'Ziyeh)These swords were basically never used in anger. They were made and used pretty much exclusively for use in Ta'Ziyeh, representing a historic battle.The vast majority of them cannot even be sharpened and made into a weapon, being around 1mm thick and thus too flexible and floppy to cut, even if you give them an edge. This example is an exception having a thick, strong blade that tapers into a thin tip, with good geometry for cutting. My other example, however, is of the flexible sort.If you enjoy this content, consider supporting the creation of more conservation videos.patreon.com/IPostSwordsMethod:This sword was conserved using EDTA chelation in an Agar hydrogel in order to stabilise the condition, as it had widespread but uneven corrosion on the blade, obscuring the etchings and slowly deteriorating the condition.EDTA chelation uses ligand-receptor binding to selectively remove iron oxide while leaving the iron below untouched. It was selected due to the need to preserve details in the elaborately etched blade.For the hilt, a modified gel was used with the addition of a small amount of oxalic acid, to shift the pH below 7, as acidic conditions also increase the solubility of the iron oxide.This process is adapted from these papers.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1296207421001333mdpi.com/2310-2861/9/3/191Precedent for using EDTA on swords also shown in this article: https://www.academia.edu/6832514/Treatment_and_restoration_of_antique_sword_from_Ottoman_period_13_th_AH_19_th_AD_century_at_the_National_Military_Museum_Saladin_Citadel_in_EgyptRegarding "conservation" vs "restoration":This is a ferrous artefact. Conserving it means addressing the corrosion. Iron oxide doesn't form a sacrificial oxide layer like copper alloys - and therefore cannot be left untreated.Even with a protective layer like microcrystalline wax, corrosion slowly degrades iron objects.It is, therefore, indeed a form of conservation. If this was not done, the object would not be preserved for future generations.Excerpt: Resolution adopted by the ICOM-CC membership at the 15th Triennial Conference, New Delhi, 22-26 September 2008 Terminology to characterize the conservation of tangible cultural heritage"The ICOM-CC adopts the following terms: “preventive conservation”, “remedial conservation”, and “restoration” which together constitute “conservation” of the tangible cultural heritage.These terms are distinguished according to the aims of the measures and actions they encompass.This project showcases remedial conservation - "all actions directly applied to an item or a group of items aimed at arresting current damaging processes or reinforcing their structure. These actions are only carried out when the items are in such a fragile condition or deteriorating at such a rate, that they could be lost in a relatively short time. These actions sometimes modify the appearance of the items."And Restoration – "all actions directly applied to a single and stable item aimed at facilitating its appreciation, understanding and use. These actions are only carried out when the item has lost part of its significance or function through past alteration or deterioration. They are based on respect for the original material. Most often such actions modify the appearance of the item."#restoration #antique #conservation Music:Gymnopedie No 2 by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100786Artist: http://incompetech.com00:00 Intro04:25 Making the Gel06:12 Testing the Gel07:15 History12:00 Test Spot Result13:00 Blade Tip Gel Application18:15 Shamshir Variants24:25 Removing Tip Gel27:50 On "Reversibility" and Ferrous Metal37:05 On "youtube restorations"47:00 Etching Techniques49:40 Functional Decorated Swords55:45 Pre-cast gel for Langet Subspace58:40 Langer Subspace Gel Removal53:50 Calligraphy Gel Removal1:06:00 First Hilt Gel Application1:13:00 Subsequent Hilt Gel Removal1:20:00 Final Hilt Gel Removal1:24:19 Before/Afters
A Shinshinto Wakizashi with Flawed Steel IPostSwords 2023-05-04 | This Shinshinto era Wakizashi is unsigned, and has some pretty obvious issues in the steel (Tamahagane) which manifest as inclusions and open laminations.Apologizes for the lack of smooth panning, need to repair my slider
REAL Medieval Weapons - NOT Perfect IPostSwords 2023-05-02 | Full video (6m) on my channel. Learn about the various ways real antiques from the medieval era show flawed workmanship, and why.youtu.be/yWbt7EFjYJw
Iranian Shamshir, Safavid Era - crucible steel blade. IPostSwords 2023-04-27 | Signed Asad Allāh Iṣfahānī, made of Pulad-e gohardar (crucible steel with a pattern) of the Kara Khorasan type.
PSA: Mini.Katana - Marketer, not Sword Brand IPostSwords 2023-04-26 | Full video (6 minutes) on my channel.#minikatana
PSA: Mini.Katana - when viral marketers sell swords IPostSwords 2023-04-25 | Put simply, minikatana calls themselves DTC (direct to consumer). But actually, they are a importer, a reseller and a most importantly a marketer, specialising not in swords, but short format video marketing.They do not manufacture the products they sell, like a true DTC business does. They import swords from Longquan, China, where they are made, and then sent in batches of 7000 fully completed swords per container, with margins of 45% (including their warehousing and shipping costs). That margin is pure profit, and doesn't translate to a better product. It's the same sword, just at a higher cost to the consumer.This is incidentally also why they struggle with quality assurance and quality control. It's a lot of swords to individually check, and apparently they're not doing very comprehensive checks. This is illustrated here by a recent reddit post of a sword which should not have been shipped to the customer bent, a flaw which cannot have occured dueing shipping and is indead due to poor manufacturing and poor QC.This means you pay more, for the same Chinese replicas available directly from the makers.They can be bought directly from a number of aliexpress / TaoBao type store fronts.If you're happy to pay more, for the same cheap replicas, then go ahead.#minikatana(Thumbnail by dom1n8a - dom1n8a.carrd.co )
DONT copy YouTuber Restorations on Real Antiques IPostSwords 2023-03-30 | Todays video is on the ethics of restoration, and the consequences of irresponsible restoration. The case study is an antique bollock dagger, from around 1490. It is most likely Flemish or Netherlandish, and features a fruit wood root hilt, or perhaps boxwood.It has been aggressively overcleaned and over-polished via abrasive methods, which have removed key indicators of age and preservation context.While it is common to fully repolish antiques in some cultures, such as in Japan, those cultures typically leave some part of the patina untouched - such as nakago on nihonto, which typically also are signed or crosshatched - which gives genuine patina a distinct appearance.One of the risks of overcleaning is that it makes it difficult to differentiate between a genuine antique which has been aggressively "restored", and a very competent fake. The more substantial damage, however, is the damage to our understanding of material culture and history that comes with destroying historical artifacts - or even just a millimetre of their surface. It's an obvious problem if the surface is highly decorated, but equally damaging even if the surface is plain, and only marred by corrosion products.Both the dagger and the wakizashi featured in this video will receive full videos of their own in the future.
International Wootz Society Launch Trailer IPostSwords 2022-06-30 | The International Wootz Society is launching today.Whether you know it as fuladh, pulad, polat, fuladh, utsa, ukku, urukku, bulat or bintie, crucible steel has fascinated humanity for two millennia. The IWS aims to serve smiths, researchers, collectors and all those interested in the production, history or identification of historical crucible steels. For those who already make crucible steel, or aspire to learn to make it, the IWS offers testing and certification at the journeyman and mastersmith levels.The IWS forums provide a central location for discussing, sharing and posting listings for both modern and antique crucible steel blades, as well as providing a much needed community space for all members.Visit the society here:internationalwootzsociety.comThis is a mirror of the trailer. Sebastian Szukalski (IPostSwords) is the secretary and a founding member of the IWS.Voice over credit: Founder, President IWS, Tim Mitchell
Rapier Blades Exist on a Spectrum: From cut to thrust IPostSwords 2020-02-03 | Rapiers come in many shapes and sizes, and distinctions are largely modern between different types. The modern typology normally used to discuss them (The AVB Norman typology) categorises them by hilt, not by blade.Matts video: youtube.com/watch?v=e1BO3fMNGCwThe spectrum goes all the way from sidesword - like blades which can cut, and thrust, to square and hexagonal section blades.Because these are clearly intended to thrust against opponents in textiles and civilian clothing, calling them a rapier is the most appropriate terminology in a modern context.N.B: A clarification on "estocs", and why the term is insufficient: While a rapier completely without a cutting edge as called "estoc" by Pallavicini circa 1670, earlier texts make it clear that the two are not the same - such as Henry VIII's armory inventory from the 1540s, which lists them separately. Additionally, according to most definitions, an estoc is a thrusting sword designed to combat armor. These swords were not designed for such a purpose.
My 5 Favourite Antique Swords (In my Collection) IPostSwords 2020-01-27 | Today we're going to look at my 5 favorite antique swords (in my collection).********************************************Number 5 is a French Model 1882 Infantry Officers sword, in presentation grade, dated to precisely 17th July, 1896. It has an etched blade and an engraved guard made of "German Silver".Number 4 is a Zeybek Efe's Yataghan, a short infantry sword for the Chief of an Ottoman Turkish Militia. It has a Turkish Ribbon Twist blade, inscribed with the Names of the Seven Sleepers.Number 3 is a Turkish Pala, a type of infantry kilij. Mine has a Turkish Twist blade, featuring an elaborate multi-bar pattern.Number 2 is a rare and unusual European Colichemarde smallsword, which is extremely broad in the blade, and features the rare combination of a triangular blade profile, and sharp edges.Number 1 is my Persian Shamshir, signed Assad Allah, and made of Kara Khorasan Pulad, or crucible steel from Khorasan. It dates to the early 17th century.#antiques #swords #history
Literally just 4:11 minutes of antique swords IPostSwords 2020-01-09 | Why are you even watching this?
Why Scimitars Dont Exist IPostSwords 2020-01-09 | If you read the word "Scimitar", what sword do you picture? It could be one of a thousand designs.These days, the word "scimitar" is used to describe any non-european, curved sword, rather than a single style of sword. As a result, it can describe totally dissimilar swords, and loses all specificity and meaning.The term "scimitar" etymologically derives from the mid 16th century Italian word Scimitarra and the mid 16th French word Cimeterre, both of which describe the Persian Shamshir. Since then, it has also been use to describe a wide range of swords like the shamshir, kilij, pala, tulwar, pulwar, tegha, kora, arabic saif and ottoman karabela, nimcha, and even swords like the yataghan and sossun pattah.If "scimitar" can be use to describe recurved blades like yataghan and sossun pattah, and also for classic sabres like kilij, then it inherently cannot describe either, they are totally dissimilar swords.Each of these swords has a specific name, and in the information era, we should make an effort to use the correct word to describe them.00:00 What even *is* a "Scimitar"?00:45 Evolution of the word "Scimitar"1:15 The Turkish Pala is not a "scimitar"2:45 The Yatagan is not a "scimitar"4:11 The Tulwar is not a "scimitar"4:40 The Tegha is not a "scimitar"5:13 The Pulwar is not a "scimitar"5:40 Other misuses of "scimitar"5:57 Connotations of "scimitar" - the Karabela#scimitar #rant #history
The Most Accurate Sword Fight in Cinematic History? IPostSwords 2020-01-05 | If you think that Geralt vs Renfri is the best sword fight on film, you're wrong. THIS is the best sword fight in cinematic history.See "Zrodzeni do Szabli / Born to the Sabre" here: vimeo.com/ondemand/bornforthesaber/382477319?The swordplay in this film is pretty fantastic. I could only spot one moment where choreography and cinematic timing truly deterred from the fighting - but that can be expected when the film is produced by a Fencing society - specifically the Art of Cross-Cutting Association (Stowarzyszenie Sztuka Krzyzowa) and two renowned fencers (the Sieniawski Brothers). Poland has a long history of excellent sabre fights, from Potop / The Deluge (1974) to more contemporary films such as these, and that lineage shows in the fencing displayed in Polish cinema.The film itself is separated into two parts, with a cinematic narrative story based on the life of a young member of the Szlachta, or nobility, and his progress with the sabre, and the second part is a documentary format, detailing the historical sources and interpretations that went into making the film, and how the sword used in it was made (with swordmaker Zbigniew Juszkiewicz). It feels a lot like a directors cut, to be honest.I kinda wish they had released a cinematic cut, and a directors cut. But I understand their reasoning behind the format.Overall, I enjoyed the film. The narration (in Polish) was clear, and the acting was pleasant. The fencing, as noted, was brilliant (video on that topic soon). Some of the documentary commentary was... less great. I disagree with Juszkiewicz' assertion that aligning a blade with earths magnetic poles during a quench influnces the curvature.Overall, a good watch for anyone into Polish Sabre, or the szlachta.(Worth noting that I watch this in Polish, with no subtitles, but subtitles are available in english. If that's not your thing, you may struggle with this film).#PolishSabre #PolskaSzabla #FightScene00:00 Introducing Zrodzeni do Szabli00:40 Analysis of the Sabre Fighting3:00 Summary of Techniques3:55 Cross Cutting, and Polish Sabre Durability5:00 Review of cinematography and production5:40 Where to watch it
Wootz without Vanadium: Manganese as a carbide former IPostSwords 2019-12-27 | In the seminal work "The Key Role of Impurities in Ancient Damascus Steel Blades" by J.D. Verhoeven, A.H. Pendray, and W.E. Dauksch, it is established that certain levels of carbide formers are required to form patterns in hypereutectoid crucible steel.(tms.org/pubs/journals/JOM/9809/Verhoeven-9809.html)The best known carbide forming element is Vanadium, and its' importance has been covered widely, especially in a recent video by Mike Loades(youtube.com/watch?v=OP8PCkcBZU4)However, there is an alternative carbide former which has been found to induce perfectly adequate wootz patterns in historical, antique blades.The Voigt blade uses Manganese, Mn25, as its carbide former. This is possible because of the low diffusion coefficient of manganese at forging temperatures, which causes it to migrate in steel at a rate of 50 microns per 68 days at 950 degrees C.(link.springer.com/article/10.1361/105994900770345935)So long as temperatures are properly managed during the forging cycles, it is possible to use this to force cementite carbides to nucleate around the manganese atoms, and form the distinct spheroid cementite rafts that characterise wootz.Verhoeven/Pendrays' latest article:link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11837-018-2915-zAnd Verhoevens' latest book:https://www.amazon.com.au/Damascus-Steel-Swords-Solving-Mystery/dp/6139884837
The Armor in The Witcher is Ugly And Useless IPostSwords 2019-12-20 | The armor in the Netflix Witcher adaption is both impossibly ugly, and utterly useless, due to classic television tropes.The Nilfgaardian armor has been rightfully compared to a wrinkled burlap sack, and is not only ugly but also detrimental to the wearer.The Cintran armor is apparently made out of papier-mache, and splits when hit with an axe. What's the point of wearing armor that doesn't protect you? May as well wear nothing at all.#witcher #armor #netflix
Nilfgaardian Swords in The Witcher are Surprisingly Accurate IPostSwords 2019-12-20 | The Nilfgaardian armor in the netflix adaption is trash. But the swords are surprisingly good, and are based on historical venetian designs.The nilfgaardian sword design used in the upcoming netflix adaption of The Witcher is based on two different, but historical venetian sword designs from the 15th century, with the blade from a Storta (which can be seen in the metropolitan museum), and the pommel of a venetian teardrop design, like that seen on the Albion Dogemetmuseum.org/art/collection/search/24904albion-swords.com/swords/albion/nextgen/sword-medieval-doge-venetian-xix.htm#netflix #witcher #Nilfgaard
Restoration Youtuber Exposed: Destructive Methods, FAKE Antiques. IPostSwords 2019-12-12 | Random Hands claims to perform "restorations" on "antiques". In reality, what he does is grind, polish and rehilt replicas and reproductions, which he artificially ages and dishonestly claims are antique.Fake, artificially aged antiques and ill-advised, destructive restorations could lead to other people copying his methods with real antiques, irrecoverably damaging those items.This is particularly clear in his recent video titles "antique egyptian dagger, impressive restoration". Not only is this not an antique, it is also not egyptian. It is actually an indian made reproduction of a "Brass Hilted Rondel Dagger", made by Windlass, Marshal Historical and other companies, it is a medieval european design.marto.es/index.php/es/novedades/brass-hilted-rondel-dagger-detailhttp://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=401908http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=MHW0601&name=Brass+Hilted+Rondel+Daggerhoppersgiftware.co.uk/rondel-dagger-7621-p.aspRandom Hands is providing bad advice for anyone who might actually own an antique, and want to restore it. His methods fundamentally destroy the items he "restores", removing their historical and monetary value.Random Hands, you need to be clear. What you do isn't "antique restoration". It's "customising an artificially aged reproduction".His channel:youtube.com/channel/UCrI3dm4qgAEV67Jc6797WIA#BadRestoration #FakeAntique #RandomHands
A Clip-Point Light Cavalry Officers Sabre IPostSwords 2019-12-11 | A preview of a sword I've not featured before. A European cavalry sabre based on the 1796 british light cavalry sabre. This example features a gilt and blued blade, and a very prominent clipped point. The blade is certainly long enough for cavalry use, but is rather narrow compared to contemporary troopers swords - a common feature of officers swords.
Lighting Test: French Garde Nationale Sabres IPostSwords 2019-10-16 | A preview of things to come.Testing out a LED lighting panel with a slider for filming the antiques.Featuring not one, but two 1821/45 French Garde nationale sabres. Both blued, gilt, and etched
Why The Ottoman Pala is the Ultimate Draw-Cutting Sword IPostSwords 2019-10-02 | Today we're going to be looking at a variant of the venerable ottoman kilij. This is a turkish pala, from around 1780. The pala was a specific subclass of kilij, and is an infantry weapon designed for performing draw cuts.This video is an updated version of my 2017 video, with a few corrections and expansions as well as better video and image quality.This example features a blade made out of turkish ribbon twist steel, a style of multi bar pattern welding renowned for its technical difficulty and attractive starburst patterning. It features a scarf welded iron tangThe crossguard is made of a copper alloy, and features langets extending down towards the hilt, and into the blade. These help secure it in its scabbard. The grip is made of horn.The history of the turkish sabre, or kilij, extends back into the 15th century, when the distinctive yalmani style of kilij formed. The term Yelman refers to the flared tip and false edge seen on these swords. Earlier examples would have a sharpened false edge, but this one does not.One very unique feature to this infantry pala is the T shaped spine. This spine shape provides stiffness and allows for an extremely fine edge geometry. It does, however, prevent you from cutting "normally" with a large majority of the blade, as the spine causes resistance in a chop. This forces you to perform draw cuts with this blade, or to cut with the distal portion, known as the foible.The blade also features a unique curvature, being straight in the forte, before having a slight recurve and a strong secondary curve, before transitioning into the foible.The foible of this blade is very thin, being 1.5mm at it's thickest, and relatively broad. This makes it rather flexible, and also makes it less efficient at thrusting.This example weighs 673 grams, and is 79cm overall with a 66cm long blade. It balances around 17cm from the guard, and feels very light and maneuverable. This is owing to the light weight, and the curved blade which makes edge alignment feel more natural.This is a very formidable and functional sword. The acute edge is well suited to slicing through textiles, and the light weight and maneuverability make it fast to swing and recover with. Despite being such a functional weapon, the blade is still truly beautiful, featuring a bold and tight pattern.
Acid Etching an Antique Ottoman Sword (in 2 Minutes) IPostSwords 2019-09-30 | A shortened version of my full video on etching an Ottoman pala. In this video, we take my neglected and repolished antique Ottoman Pala, and etch it to restore it to its former glory.The Pala is a form of Turkish Sabre, or Kilij, designed for use by infantry. It feature a "T" shaped pipeback spine. This example is made of "turkish ribbon twist" pattern welded "damascus" steel.I decided to use oxalic acid for this procedure, as it is a gentle acid with a long working time. I think it came out pretty well.This style of sabre has a very, thin, fine edge, making it an exceptionally good slicing or slashing sword. The heavy curve further emphasises this. The thick (10mm) spine prevents you from chopping deeply with a typical cutting motion, requiring you to "draw cut", pulling the blade along your opponents flesh and rending it apart.This style first appeared around 1750-1770, and this example is from around 1780-1790. It is Turkish / Ottoman, and feels amazing to handle. Whilst the point of balance is something like 18cm away from the guard, it just floats when you hold it.Length: 84cmBlade Length: 70cmWeight: 670 gramsPoint of Balance: 18cm
Restoring an Antique Ottoman Kilij sword from ~1780 IPostSwords 2019-09-30 | In this video, we take my neglected and repolished antique Ottoman Pala, and etch it to restore it to its former glory.The Pala is a form of Turkish Sabre, or Kilij, designed for use by infantry. It feature a "T" shaped pipeback spine. This example is made of "turkish ribbon twist" pattern welded "damascus" steel.I decided to use oxalic acid for this procedure, as it is a gentle acid with a long working time. I think it came out pretty well.This style of sabre has a very, thin, fine edge, making it an exceptionally good slicing or slashing sword. The heavy curve further emphasises this. The thick (10mm) spine prevents you from chopping deeply with a typical cutting motion, requiring you to "draw cut", pulling the blade along your opponents flesh and rending it apart.This style first appeared around 1750-1770, and this example is from around 1780-1790. It is Turkish / Ottoman, and feels amazing to handle. Whilst the point of balance is something like 18cm away from the guard, it just floats when you hold it.Length: 84cmBlade Length: 70cmWeight: 670 gramsPoint of Balance: 18cm
An Ottoman Yataghan for a Zeybek Efe (Militia Chief) IPostSwords 2019-09-27 | This is a zeybek (or zeibek) yatagan from Ottoman Turkey, dating back to the second half of the 18th century. It features a "turkish ribbon twist" pattern welded ("damascus" blade) with two inscriptions, this first being the makers name, Hussein, and the second being the names of the seven sleepers, also known as the people from the cave, or the youths of the cave of Ephesus. This is a famous syraic legend recognised in both Christian and Islamic traditions.This yatagan is 75cm overall, with a 61cm blade and a POB at 16cm from the hilt. It weights 670 grams.The Zeybeks/Zeibeks were an irregular infantry based militia, and most often, their sidearms were yatagans. This one is too highly decorated to have been produced for a regular zeybek soldier, featuring complex and well executed pattern welding, and fine silver inlays, as well as decorated bolsters and tang framing. This indicated it was rehilted with a typical zeybek "T" hilt, made in rams horn.This example was therefore like for an Efe, or chief, due to the high quality of the sword and the traditional hilt style.
Antique French Sabre with a Smallsword style Blade IPostSwords 2019-09-19 | This "fantasie" antique example of the French 1882 style Infantry Officers sword has an unusual, non-regulation blade. It is hollow ground triangular in cross-section, and is known as a Préval blade, named after General Claude Antoine de Préval, who trialed a similar style of blade in the 1830s as he believed it made sense from a cavalry perspective, being light, strong and very stiff.The guard is also non-regulation. It is made of steel, instead of the standard German Silver (a white bronze alloy). It also has reinforcing ribs, unlike the regulation variant. It also has 1 extra outer sidebar and two inner bars.It is marked Coulaux & cie, Klingenthal.This style of Saumur hilt, combined with various unique blades, were often used by Zouave and Chasseur d' Afrique regiments from around 1855 onwards, and formed the basis on which the 1882 hilt was eventually built.
American Symbol with Roman Roots: The Liberty Cap IPostSwords 2019-08-12 | The liberty cap was originally part of the Roman manumission ceremony, by which slaves were granted their freedom, and this symbol enjoyed a healthy popularity in europe from ancient times well into the early modern era.It was an ancient Roman symbol which was co-opted by many revolutionary groups over history, starting with Brutus after the Assassination of Julius Caesar, who emblazoned the Liberty Cap on a coin commemorating the event.It was popularised in American symbolism by Paul Revere, who included it prominently on the Boston Commons Obelisk in 1766, and on his silver Sons of Liberty Bowl, which was later satirised on a porcelain bowl by William Hogarth, which was promptly mass-produced and shared in the form of a print, which brought the symbol into the American Psyche in the leadup to the revolutionary war. So prolific was this symbol, that it found its way into the header for the Boston Gazette from 1770 onwards.After the introduction of the Liberty Cap into the American symbological lexicon, it could be seen everywhere, from regimental flags to being used as a geographical marker for America on maps produced in France, where the symbol also rapidly gained popularity in the leadup to the french revolution.The popularity of the Liberty cap was furious but short-lived. By the 1820s the symbol was already in decline, and by the mid 19th century, it had completely passed from the American Consciousness.Here, it is preserved on an antique saber for an American Cavalryman from around the war of 1812.Source:Korshak, Yvonne. “The Liberty Cap as a Revolutionary Symbol in America and France.” Smithsonian Studies in American Art, vol. 1, no. 2, 1987, pp. 53–69. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3108944.
Antique American Officers Saber from the War of 1812 IPostSwords 2019-08-11 | This is a quick video on an American Officers sabre from the early 19th century, made in the style of the venerable British 1796 light cavalry sabre. It features uniquely American engravings on the gilt and blued blade, including a fantastically executed Eagle. It is likely of Solingen Manufacture.The blade has a more refined point than the typical hatchet point of the 1796, and the hilt has several non-regulation features, such as pointed langets and a lack of "ears" or tabs on the backstrap.The sword weights 804 grams, is 93 centimeters overall, and has a blade length of 81cm. The blade tapers from 8mm at the ricasso, to 5mm at the end of the blued panel, to 3mm at the end of the fuller.It was potentially used in the War of 1812 by a cavalryman or a Mounted Militiaman. The edge show signs of battle damage, which were sharpened and polished over long ago, as evidenced by the pitting and patina which extends right to the edge.Link to a sabre with a similar floral gilt element near the ricasso: oakeshott786629966.wordpress.com/2018/09/25/the-oakeshott-digital-catalog
True Damascus Steel: History, Metallurgy, Production IPostSwords 2019-08-08 | This is going to be a rather long, and in depth video on hypereutectoid crucible steel, a historical steel known by many names, from Pulad (Persian), Wootz (Indian), Fulad (Arabic) and Bulat (Russian) and many other. Today, we'll uncover its history, metallurgy, and production. For the most part, it is based upon excellent academic work by Ann Feuerbach and metallurgical experimentation by John Verhoeven.Historically (prior to the 18th century), "Damascus Steel" also referred to crucible steel, which was produced all over South East and Central Asia and the middle east. In order to differentiate between the two forms of “Damascus”, I will be using the nomenclature of pattern welded steel, and wootz steel.Also known as pulad, fulad or bulat, wootz is an ancient crucible steel, which was produced from as early as the first century, CE. It is typified by being high in carbon content, usually between 1 and 2 percent and a low slag content.Metallurgical identification of wootz steel is problematic, as no single criteria can be used to differentiate between crucible steel, and decarburised wrought iron. In order to confidently say whether a sword is crucible steel or not, the blade must be polished and then etched in nital, and examined via low magnification microscopy. The presense of spheroidised cementite is considered evidence of a crucible produced steel. Wootz can occur in two different forms according to Ann Feuerbach, soft wootz with less than 0.8% carbon, and hard wootz with greater than 0.8%. The vast majority of pattern presenting wootz and historical wootz is hard wootz, whereas the majority of crucible steel that produces no pattern is soft wootz.The names Pulad and Fulad derive their meaning from the words for Purified, and fittingly Wootz also typically contains lower levels of slag than other steels, such as bloomery iron or decarburised wrought iron, however if the wootz was made using one of these as a source of iron, this can introduce slag into the final product. For the most part, the clay crucible would be filled with a charge. This crucible charge would contain iron, often a mix of “soft and hard iron”, referred to by Al Kindi as male and female iron, as well as some form of plant matter such as rice husks, pomegranate peels, wood chips, leaves or vines. These served two purposes: Firstly, to provide carbon to the steel, without which it would not melt and would not produce useable steel, and secondly to produce gasses as they pyrolise, protecting the steel from the atmosphere of the furnace. Some processed such as the Deccani process utilised in Hyderabad used glass as a protective flux.The crucible was heated for anywhere between 6 hours (as in the south Indian process) to two days, as in the Deccani process, or as much as 6 days in the Isfahan process. The resulting wootz button or egg was then polished in order to check the quality of the wootz.In the Isfahan process, the wootz ingots were taken from their crucibles after firing, and placed in a heated room or compartment for two days, to temper them and relieve stresses prior to forging.Isfahan wootz is particularly well known, as is Khorasani steel. The most famous of persian swordmakers hailed from Isfahan, Assad Allah, during the reign of Shah Abbas. There is an interesting legend as to how he rose to such prominence.According to this legend, Shah Abbas held a competition with the intention of finding a new shamshiraz, or swordmaker for his court. In order to root out the best of the best, he offered a prize for a swordsmith who could cut an iron helmet given to him by an ottoman sultan, without damaging their sword. All failed, but one. Assad Allah, whose name literally translates to Lion of God, approached the helmet, swung, and cleaved it in two, without rolling an edge.The secret to producing wootz steel was lost for a long time, as the ore sourced dried up around 1750, and wootz production ground to a halt. Crucible steel was still being made, but it lacked the distinct patterns in the steel, which had served as a guarantee of quality. It was only recently through the combined efforts of John Verhoeven and the late Al Pendray that it was revealed that trace amounts of carbide forming elements are responsible for the formation of wootz patterns. In particular, the pair discovered that vanadium was a vital alloying element in pattern formation.Recently, Verhoeven has revisited the topic with a 2018 paper titled Damascus Steel Revisited, in which experimentation solidified his claim that internal banded microstructures resulted from microsegregation of Vanadium between dendritic and interdendritic regions of the ingot during solidification. Vanadium therefore acts as a nucleation point for cementite spheroid formation, leading to linearly aligned bands of cementite after forging.
French Sabre with a Toledo Blade and a Steel Hilt IPostSwords 2019-08-07 | This is a rare variant of a French model 1882 Infantry Officers sabre, with a reinforced steel hilt, and a toledo style sabre blade with a reinforced forte for enhanced parrying. The toledo blade style features one wide central fuller flanked by two narrow fullers, and makes the edge thicker, preventing damage when parrying. It also makes swords that are very stiff for their weight.This sword is short, and lightweight (590 grams, 91cm), and was thus likely a levy weight or piquet weight sword.This sabre is a true sabre under both British definitions, having a curved blade, and French definitions, which go by hilt design.It was made by Francois Backes and Francois Delacour in Paris.
A French Cavalry Sword with a Saumur Hilt IPostSwords 2019-08-05 | This is a rare custom made variant of the 1882 French infantry officers sword. It features a bronze hilt with extra bars on the outside and inside of the guard, and an early example of an 1896 style cavalry blade, with a single fuller and single edge. It is stiff, and narrow, and well suited to thrusting style of combat. I hypothesize it was made for a mounted infantry officer, as it is optimised more for a cavalryman than an infantryman.This example is 820 grams, and 104.5cm long overall, and was produced by Barre and Fils, Paris, an outfitter who made many custom swords including some very highly decorated presentation swords.
French Infantry Officers Presentation Sword, Model 1882 IPostSwords 2019-08-02 | This is a presentation grade French Infantry Officers sword, model of 1882, dating from 17th July 1896. It features an engraved guard made of German Silver (aka nickel silver) and a nickel-coated Klingenthal blade with frost etched floral panels and a precise dating. It is highly decorated, and very fancy.It is 107cm overall, making it 7cm longer than the standard variant, and weighs 895 grams, making it 205 grams heavier than the regulation sword. It retains the offset fullers, and has gained an extra bar on the guard.This example was custom made with deep relief carvings in the backstrap, containing the initials CS or SC.The 1882 was used through the late 19th century, and into the 20th century, including world war 1. It was primarily a thrusting sword, though some rare examples were field sharpened. This example retains its nickel coating and blunt edge on the blade.
The 1882 French Infantry Officers Sword IPostSwords 2019-08-01 | This is an extremely typical and highly representative variant of the french 1882 infantry officers sword, or Sabre modèle 1882 d'officier d'infanterie. It is worth noting that in french nomenclature and classification, a sabre is defined by the hilt, not the blade, whereas in british nomenclature the curvature of the blade defines a sabre.The 1882, in its standard form, features a three-bar hilt made of german silver, a white bronze alloy, and a blade with offset fullers designed to optimise thrusting.This will be the first of a series of videos covering variations in materials and designs in the 1882 pattern, including a rare presentation variant which will be the focus of the next video.This example has a blade manufactures in Klingenthal by the Coulaux company, and bears G-star and C-star inspector marks. The guard bears the makers mark of Francois Delacour and Francois Backes, "FBD" with an ancient helmet in an oval.FBD were an outfitter who sold blades
A British Flank Infantry Sabre inspired by Shamshir blades. IPostSwords 2019-07-29 | This is a British interim sabre from between 1796 and 1803, for a Flank or Light Infantry officer. With a wedge section blade, heavily curved, and a 1796 style hilt, this sword was scaled down to fit the needs of an infantry officer and is extremely quick and agile. The deeply curved, slightly shorter blade is well suited to draw cuts, and the overall lightness compliments the POB (12cm from crossguard)The reason it can be accurately dated to the interim period of 1796 to 1803 is because of the British war office officially adopting new patterns of sabres in those years.In 1796 the (rather well known) 1796 light cavalry sabre was adopted, which this mimics in hilt design, featuring a stirrup hilt ("P" shaped guard) and a curved blade.Flank infantry and Light infantry officers often engaged in skirmishing tactics and thus officers for these regiments tended to go for more combat appropriate swords than their official pattern (The 1796 spadroon, often considered to be a terrible sword).As a result of the number of Flank/Light infantry officers using 1796 Light Cavalry sabre derivatives, the 1803 was soon officially adopted for these regiments, featuring a broad, heavily curved blade and a more elaborate and more protective hilt.This design falls between those two.Nicks' channel: youtube.com/channel/UC_HtUzv9WIfxx31eYKDo4aA
Ultra-HD scan of a 400-year-old Persian Shamshir IPostSwords 2019-04-10 | Shamshir made by Asad Allāh Iṣfahānī circa 1600 (4K UHD)In 1601, Sigismund III Wasa / Zygmunt III Waza of Poland sent an Armenian merchant, Sefer Muratovitch, on a commercial mission to Isfahan with instructions to procure “rugs woven with the royal arms, as well as costly fabrics, tents and weapons, specifically sabre blades of watered steel.”This is very likely one of those watered steel sabres, being from the correct period, and form and country origin, as well as being made from the highest grade of wootz, by the very best of makers. The steel is highly spheroidised (the cementite carbides form spheres during sub-critical soaking) as is characteristic of Assad Allahs work around 1600-1607. It was also found in Poland, which fits the above theory.The wootz on this sword is "Kara Khorassan" wootz (black wootz from the Khorason Region) - it has a distinct styling, being dark with fine, light, tight swirls, and is formed when a specific steel from a specific source is manipulated and forged in a specific way.The blade has gone through resharpening during its lifetime, probably during the 17th century, and shows this in the damage to the signature and the change in grain direction near the edge. It is still quite a substantial blade, and feels almost tip heavy, with significant blade presence. It is worth noting that most authentic Assad Allah blades do have more intensely forged edges, indicated by denser, parallel cementite rafts near the edge (Figiel, pp. 28).It causes a distinctive pattern, with a dark base of softer steel (sorbite crystals) and brighter, harder steel (cementite crystals).The wootz process involved very slow heating, followed by slow cooling, occurring over 24-48 hours. This lead to distinct patterns of low carbon steel with a lattice of high carbon steel that provides good edge retention in a shock absorbing core material.Pieces of bloomery iron were heated for days in sealed crucibles with a carbon-containing material until enough carbon had been absorbed for the steel to be formed as a liquid, at 1300 °C–1400 °C. The carbon content of the resultant button of steel was about 1.5%.This technique disappeared around the 1750's, likely due to the depletion of the mines in the region which removed the incentive for making this style of steel, as the specific alloying compounds in the ore from a small group of mines allowed this steel to form surface carbides. The end of the age of wootz lead to the use of more conventionally produced "bloomery iron", an early steel, until modern monosteel was made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries via the bessemer process.“Wootz”, “Bulat”, “Ukku” and “crucible steel” all describe a particular form of refined steel used in the production of arms and armor from antiquity (arguably as early as 300BCE), to roughly 1750CE, in what is today known as Southern India and in various surrounding areas. Many ore mines and furnace sites have been identified, and the variety of wootz produced from these different ore sources has led to a classification system based on the differences in visual characteristics of the steel once etched. These visual differences are due to key chemical impurities which lead to a change in the crystallisation of the steel, manifesting in very clear patterns in the banding of the carbides in the steel. The historical value of wootz steel comes from its ideally suited balance of edge retention, and shock absorption for use in bladed weaponry, however its use also extended to armour.
Napoelonic French General Staff Officers Spadroon IPostSwords 2018-12-13 | Books https://www.amazon.fr/%C3%A9p%C3%A9es-port%C3%A9es-France-origines-jours/dp/2865510352https://www.amazon.com.au/Napoleon-Great-Andrew-Roberts/dp/0141032014**History:**The french description for this sword is "Epee à pommeau à méplat recevant l'arc de jointure termine par un feuille d'acanthe", or a sword with a flat-faced pommel with the joining arc terminated by an acanthus leaf.It was very likely for an Officier Superieur, most likely a *Major* or a *Colonel de L'état-major de la Grande Armée* - a colonel of the Army General Staff, who served under the direction of *L'état-major général de la Grande Armée, et Maréchal d'Empire*, Louis-Alexandre Berthier (Chief of staff of the Grand Army of France, and Marshal of France). In 1813 Marshal Berthier rejoined Napoleon as chief of staff (having served as chief of staff to Marshal Murat during the 1812 campaigning season) and served in this capacity throughout the campaign in Germany.This particular wing of the army was responsible for Movements, Secretariat, Accounting and Intelligence of the French Grande Armée.**Design:**This design was used from 1814-1815 in this particular form. The hilt is gilt bronze, with mother of pearl handle scales with only two small chips.The blade is also of an unusual form, for a French sword. It is a Spadroon, rather than a smallsword. Most French officers swords with a hilt like this feature a hollow ground triangular section blade, like an earlier smallsword or courtsword. This has a narrow, single edged, fullered blade known as a spadroon blade. In 1796, the British Army standardised on the 1796 pattern infantry officers sword, a spadroon with a very similar blade to this one (however slightly different). This was widely regarded as a poor design, known as "the perfect encumbrance"The spadroon blade on this particular example is also unique in that is transitions to a "lozenge" () cross section for the distal half of the blade. It is fairly flexible, and also possesses almost no cutting capacity.**Symbolism:** This sword has a few unique elements that allow it to be very accurately dated.The pommel is in the form of a flattened acanthus, a symbol of enduring life and persistence. Also, on the guard there are two small flowers, situated near the top of the guard continuing this floral motif.The knucklebow features a lion face. Though Napoleon settled on the Eagle for his official crest, the lion remained a popular symbol of strength in France even during the First Empire. The quillion is also in the form of a lions head.The guard allows for the most accurate dating, and is highly specific in its imagery.The use of a *Winged Victory* as the salient image is typical of late Napoleonic symbolism, though the Winged Victory is originally an ancient Greek design, classicism was very popular at the time and many archaic symbols found themselves being reused. In the hand of the Winged Victory is a *laurel wreath*, a symbol of victory and honour, also of ancient Greek origins. The Winged Victory stands before a background of flagpoles, one of which flies a battle standard (on the lefthand side, with the fringed border).The use of the *fasces* or a bound bundle of birch rods is also typical of the First Empire, though the symbol itself dates back to Etruscan and then later Roman times and was merely revived by the classicist Imperials.There is some deposition of white oxides on the bronze, and some photos are before cleaning, others after. This is due to exposure to chlorides (salt) at some point.96cm overall, 82cm blade, 416 grams.
Underappreciated Swords: Persian Qajar Era Revival Sword IPostSwords 2018-11-12 | A quick new video, on a very underrepresented sword. The Persian Qajar Era straight sword, in Revival style. Featuring design motifs from sassanid, temurid, and arabic swords of the 1300-1500's, this sword has a variety of decorative elements that hearken back to earlier swords from Persia and beyond.We'll be covering the history, design, decoration, symbolism and construction of a Qajar Era Straight Sword.Arms and Armor From Iran, Manouchehr Moshtagh Khorasani:moshtaghkhorasani.com/books/arms-and-armor-from-iranamazon.com/Arms-Armor-Iran-Bronze-Period/dp/3932942221His Channel, Razmafzaryoutube.com/channel/UCEkddFkwPzt5q_Z6F23sNUQA "Qajar Revival" sword, with straight blade. A style typified by a thin, broad straight blade with downturned quillions, hearkening back to much earlier persian swords. The hilt is typically (but not always) undecorated, whilst the blades are elaborately etched. The handles are formed from two plates of steel, shaped and then brazed together.This example has no edges, and is very flexible. Being ceremonial swords, the vast majority were made to be impossible to use.Some extremely rare exceptions use wootz steel, and have a diamond cross section with fullers, and sharp edges. These are indeed usable, but are exceptionally rare. These examples often are undecorated, baring a signature.Many featured Quranic scripts and serpent motifs, and blades are often thin and flexible.we can see one used by the painted Jan Matejko, in his painting "Bitwa pod Grunwaldem" being held by Vytautas the Great. Note that whilst the sword is correct to the contemporary Persia when Matejko painted this, it is not accurate to the period when the battle took place.These "revival" style swords were almost always temple / ceremonial swords, and appeared in the late 18th/early 19th century.
Black Sea Yataghan / Laz Bichaq - A Rare Pirates Sword IPostSwords 2018-01-28 | The black sea yataghan is a short, recurved sword from the regions currently known as Northern Turkey and Georgia. This is a 19th century example, in the classical form.It's native name is "Laz bıçağ,", or "Laz Knife", and it is named after the Caucasus Lazi people of the coastal regions bordering the Black Sea.The Lazi people were very known to be a seafaring people, and are remembered as successful pirates, so much so that in 1806, Laz pirates conducted an invasion of Oinoi (Trk: Unye). Other places were also attacked, such as Rezovo. This attack lead to the populace relocating to Sinope, Sinemorets and other nearby areas.This style of sword, being relatively short and with good cutting authority, was well suited to use on small and medium sized boats, such as those used by Lazi pirates.Many of these were made in Sürmene, Turkey, and there is still an active modern knifemaking industry in the region, though they make kitchen knives mostly.The Laz Bichaq has a distinctive style of "cresent" shaped pommel, made of cow horn. These are very fragile, and often broken on extant examples.This example also retains the leather grip with wire wrap, which is often missing on antiques.The short, terminated fullers and dotwork decoration are typical of these swords, and are often paired with brass inlays, which have oxidised and turned a little green on this example.Likewise, the spines are almost invariably decorated in dotwork, and this example reflects that.Overall length 92cm, blade length 72cm.
Preview: Muzeum Wojska Polskiego (Polish Army Museum) IPostSwords 2018-01-21 | Just a few photos of a few of the items in the Muzeum Wojska Polskiego. Way less than a quarter of their items.
Analysing an Artificially Aged Medieval Sword IPostSwords 2017-12-15 | Today we're going to be looking at a fraudulently, artificially aged medieval-style sword. This particular example was subjected to accelerated aging with an acid solution, then polished partially to attempt to make it seem less obviously fake.
Fake French Court Sword - Artificially Aged Replica IPostSwords 2017-11-21 | Today we're looking at a listing I found on an auction site, similar to ebay, of a artificially aged reproduction of a French court sword from the early 19th century. The reproduction was made by Empire Costume, a French company reportedly using a Czech blacksmith.It's a very distinctive sword, so lets look at it in detail.en.empirecostume.com/general-staff-officer-or-dignitaries-1-st-empire-sword-c76-a7193.htm
Red Rot: The Plague of 18th and 19th Century Leather. IPostSwords 2017-11-15 | Today we're going to talk about a particular type of leather degradation that we see appearing on leather products from around 1760 onwards: Red Rot.Different to age hardening and leather shrinkage, which is caused by fluctuations in environmental conditions (and which we also see on a second sword in this video), red rot refers to when leather has discolored to an orange or red color, and is brittle, fragile and powdered. This condition issue is most likely a caused by the presence of sulfur in the air, or absorbed into the water used during the vegetable tanning process. It is particularly prevalent in 19th century artefacts.http://www3.slv.vic.gov.au/latrobejournal/issue/latrobe-73/t1-g-t10.html"In 1842 the Society of Arts commissioned a report to be done by Michael Faraday, later to become famous as the pioneer of electricity. He was made the head of a committee formed to investigate this alarming situation. The committee quickly came up with the culprit, the gas that was used for lighting. One of their experiments involved leaving a bucket of water exposed for a fortnight to the air in the Athenaeum Club drawing room, and another bucket in a room not lit by gas. The water in the drawing room, though formerly pure, was found, after the fourteen days, to turn litmus red. It had in fact become dilute sulphuric acid. This was attributed to the sulphur released into the atmosphere by the burning gas lamps."
Scarf Welded Tangs - Soft iron tangs for hard steel blades IPostSwords 2017-11-10 | Today we're going to be examining a historical method of tang construction, utilising a softer iron tang, and a harder steel blade.
Traditional Shagreen isnt made from Fishskin IPostSwords 2017-11-10 | (Please ignore how shockingly unkempt my hair looks)Today we're gonna be looking at traditional shagreen, which was made from the hide of a horse or donkey, and treated with plant seeds and pressure until it showed a pebbled appearance.regencyredingote.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/what-is-shagreenhttps://books.google.com.au/books?id=52FDeFdxbV0C&pg=PA68&lpg=PA68&dq=donkey+leather+shagreen+book+with+seeds+from&source=bl&ots=PKDCGZOUHl&sig=NtBmKaG3K_EVH_PNUnsJcseCNsw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi3tqzTgLPXAhUMjLwKHWGYCNgQ6AEIVDAK#v=onepage&q=donkey%20leather%20shagreen%20book%20with%20seeds%20from&f=falseShagreen officers sword photos courtesy of Matthttp://www.fioredeiliberi.org/antique-swords-uk/for-sale
FAKE WOOTZ: Replicating crucible steel patterns IPostSwords 2017-11-01 | Today we're going to look at a few different methods which attempt to visually emulate the appearance of wootz, or crucible steel (to varying degrees of success). Some of these methods involve forging processes, whereas others are purely based on chemical etching.Real wootz is made via melting iron ore, glass and a carbon source in a crucible, specifically iron ore with vanadium in it. This causes large carbides to randomly segregate into rafts. One of these carbides is cementite, and it shows up as a bright white line or streak once the steel is etched. It is this effect that these methods attempt to emulate.The first method we examine is pattern welding, followed by etching with a resist.Credit to Matt Easton's "Easton Antique Arms" for the photos of the Flank officers sword.http://www.fioredeiliberi.org/antique-swords-uk/for-sale/1796flank7youtube.com/user/scholagladiatoria
German Presentation Grade Lionhead Artillery Officers Sabre IPostSwords 2017-11-01 | I guarantee I messed up my German pronunciation in this video.Awarded for long service between 1884 to 1937, this interwar lionhead artillery officers sabre features a double etched, nickel coated blade with a pair of blued panels, one showing an artillery train and the other showing the date of presenation. It has initials (GL) on the hilt, and rubies for eyes.This example was made by WKC (Weyersberg, Kirschbaum & Co), a well known maker of military and dress swords up to this day.http://www.wkc-solingen.de/enpatreon.com/IPostSwordsinstagram.com/ipostswordsfacebook.com/IPostSwords
