Guidelines to Euro Sword Buying
Oct 5, 2011 17:31:31 GMT
Post by Lonely Wolf Forge on Oct 5, 2011 17:31:31 GMT
A.Jordan made an excellent post as to guidelines to purchasing Katana's and everything a newbie would love to know about them, so i decided i would follow suit and do a guide to Euros since Euros often do not receive the attention Katana do.
I'm going to start off just by talking a little bit about Euro Swords and citing some common misconceptions surrounding them. I think alot of the reason Euro swords kinda get pushed under the rug is due to the vast number of Garbage quality worthless Sword Like Objects out there representing Euro swords. I know when i first came to swords, all the Euro swords i saw were junk quality wallhangers, so i assumed hat You just couldn't get a functional Euro, thus i went down the Katana route.
PARTS OF A EURO SWORD
Most Euro and Medieval swords all share the same basic parts
Blade- Speaks for itself, the sharpened portion of the sword that does the cutting
Fuller- many Euro Swords have a fuller to Lighten the weight and assist in balance, often refereed to as "Blood Groove" this is an incorrect term, a fuller is Not put on a sword to assist in reducing suction, or to make blood spray out of your enemy when you stab them, this is fantasy and is not true.
Guard- The Guard is sometimes also called the "Cross" due to the distinct shape it gives a Euro type sword. The guards purpose is to Keep your hands from sliding up on your own blade, and also protecting your hands from the enemy blade. Guards come in all shapes and sizes, and is a nice way to customize a sword by simply swapping out guards.
Pommel- European swords unlike japanese katana have what is known as a Pommel, a Pommel is a piece of metal, ranging in size,shape, and weight, used to counterbalance the blade Pommel weights will vary based on the overall balance of the sword, swapping out pommels can effect how the sword balances.
Grip- The grip or handle, is the part of the sword you grab when wielding it, grips are often made of wood wrapped in cord and topped with leather, though the possibilities are endless.
Assembly Methods
European swords vary in assembly method, Namely, the manner in which the handle is attached to the blade.
Peened Pommel- a Peened pommel is the most historic method of assembly, the guard grip, and pommel are pounded onto the blade and the Tang protruding from the pommel is heated and pounded flat, the pressure of the peen holds the sword together.
Hex Nut-In more modern swords, a "hex nut" construction is used, in a hex nut construction, the end of tang is threaded and a recessed hex nut is screwed onto the tang down into the pommel, the friction of the tightened screw holds the sword together, and the sword can be disassembled by simply unscrewing the hex nut as opposed to peening which is essentially permanent.
Threaded Pommel- the threaded pommel is a less desirable method, the pommel and tang are threaded and the pommel is twisted on, the problem with this method is, unnecessary stress is put on the tang and it can break, also over time, the threading will looses and you will have to screw the pommel tighter to hold the sword together, thats all fine and dandy with a Ball pommel, but with any other pommel, it will misalign and look stupid.
Keyed- any quality pommel is "keyed" to fit the tang, this makes it so that the pommel can not twist on the tang and become misaligned like often seen with screw on pommels.
Here's a short video showing the assembly via the Peen Method
Misconceptions about European swords
There are alot of uninformed people out there who make outrageous statements about euro swords, and often advertise themselves as an "expert" Heres a few common misconceptions that are outright untrue
"European swords were not sharpened or were barely sharpened, they are made for blunt trauma not cutting" this is totaly untrue, Maces and Flails were made for blunt trauma, a sword is made to cut, and european swords WERE sharpened and quite capable of cutting.
"European swords weighed 6-15 pounds and were very slow and cumbersome to wield" Once again, this is outright False. European swords had excellent balance, and weighed 2-4 lbs, sure there are some examples of larger heavier swords such as the Great sword, or Zweihander, but these swords were also well balanced and quite wield-able.
"Euro swords are not well suited for cutting, katanas are way better" Once again, untrue, European swords are just as capable for backyard cutting as katanas as this video will demonstrate
What to look for when buying
When purchasing Euro swords, some things to look for are weight, point of balance, and type of steel. Overly heavy or unbalanced european swords can be a pain in the shoulder to wield, and with experience you will figure out what is right for You. I personally prefer more blade heavy type swords as opposed to the light quick blades, this is all personal preference.
What to AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE when buying
Any sword made of "stainless steel" or "440 Stainless" ext. is a major NO NO. I dont care if the vendor advertises it as indestructable. Stainless steel is UNSAFE for a sword blade, it is highly brittle and can shatter or break.
Avoid vendors who use terms such as "tree splitting sharp" "indestructible" "can chop iron" or make boasts that their swords are capable of smashing cinder blocks with no damage or "cutting through other swords like butter" These words are used to trick you into thinking your getting something good. Avoid too good to be true prices, if you see a sword selling for 39$ advertised as gods greatest gift, 99.99% of the time its a piece of garbage.
What is best for me?
When purchasing a Euro sword you need to ask yourself "what do i want in a sword?"
Do you want a cutting sword, a functional display piece, a Stage steel sword for sparring, what is it you as the customer want in your sword. There are Many euopean swords advertised as stage steel, these are often beefier heavy blades, blunt, and made for sparring and acting, such as youd see in movies or plays. they are made to take abuse and punishment that would destroy the egde of a cutting sword.
Oakshotte types
During reading posts about euro swords you may see people throw around terms like Oakshotte type XVII or something along the lines, this is a kind of categorization of european swords based on different things like blade geometry and features unique to the swords that fall into the typology. A simple google search for oakshotte typology will give you loads of information about all the different types, heres an image showing a generalized picture of the different types.
Sizes and styles of blades
There are countless different blade sizes and styles among Euro swords, everything from short 1 handed arming swords to the massive scottish claymore, when looking at different types you will see what appeals to you and what doesn't, and with a litle research you can determine how the types of swords you enjoy handle when wielded.
REPUTABLE DEALERS
this is a list of reputable dealers, this by no means covers ALL of them and this is limited to what i can come up with off the top of my head
Albion
Hanwei
Valient Armory
Darksword Armory
Kult of Athena
Dynasty forge
wiwingti sword supply
Fable Blades
Odin Blades
Tried and True armory/ATRIM
Tinker Pierce
Mad Dwarf Workshop
Windlass SteelCrafts/Museumreplicas
SwordNation
Upkeep
Proper maintenance is a MUST if you want your swords to stay sharp and shiny, and if properly maintained, your swords will outlive you and be an Heirloom for generations to come if you wish it.
ALWAYS clean and oil your blade when you are finished with it, i will outline how i personally care for my blades, it is not a perfect method, nor the only one, but it works for me
1. Wipe the sword with a dry cloth if its wet, to remove water, and any solid particles from your cutting session
2. Spray windex or some kind of glass cleaner on the blade, and wipe it down with paper towels or a soft cloth.
3. Use a polishing compound such as never dull or mothers mag polish (i use both one after another) follow the instructions on the container.
4. Repeat step 2
5. apply a coat of oil, ive used everything from remmington gun oil, Hoppes gun oil, WD40, or 3 in 1. it doesn't make much difference. use a smooth cloth and wipe an even coat covering the entire surface of the blade, and wipe off excess oil.
SHARPENING
Sharpening is part of upkeep, if you use your sword it can lose its edge, also some swords may not come as sharp as youd like from the factory, nobody explains sharpening better than Tom K, so heres links to his famous sharpening videos.
Cutting
Cutting, IMO is the best part of sword ownership, and ill share with you some common cutting mediums, and some cutting mediums to avoid.
Tatami- Tatami is a very good cutting target, and thats exactly what its made for, the mats can be ordered online.
Beach Matts- can be found at your local dollar store, they are softer than tatami but they still work
Plastic bottles- any plastic bottle or jug filled with water makes an excellent target, i often buy 24 r 30 packs of bottled water for like 5 bucks and use them. Milk jugs are my favorite
CUTTING MEDIUMS TO AVOID
Some of these may seem odd...but trust me...there are people who have attempted it
Ice Blocks
Cinderblocks
Bricks
Metal Pipes
Trees
Tv's
radios
these will destroy your sword no matter how badass it is.
SAFETY
when it comes to swords SAFETY COMES FIRST
when you do cutting or even just practice swings, make sure your alone, and nobody is within reach of the bade, serious injury can come about if your cutting in a crowded area or someone steps into the blades range of motion
use common sense, dont drag the blade across any part of your body, dont swordfight with live blades, and dont throw your sword. Keep your sword secured safely in its scabbard if you arent using it.
I'm going to start off just by talking a little bit about Euro Swords and citing some common misconceptions surrounding them. I think alot of the reason Euro swords kinda get pushed under the rug is due to the vast number of Garbage quality worthless Sword Like Objects out there representing Euro swords. I know when i first came to swords, all the Euro swords i saw were junk quality wallhangers, so i assumed hat You just couldn't get a functional Euro, thus i went down the Katana route.
PARTS OF A EURO SWORD
Most Euro and Medieval swords all share the same basic parts
Blade- Speaks for itself, the sharpened portion of the sword that does the cutting
Fuller- many Euro Swords have a fuller to Lighten the weight and assist in balance, often refereed to as "Blood Groove" this is an incorrect term, a fuller is Not put on a sword to assist in reducing suction, or to make blood spray out of your enemy when you stab them, this is fantasy and is not true.
Guard- The Guard is sometimes also called the "Cross" due to the distinct shape it gives a Euro type sword. The guards purpose is to Keep your hands from sliding up on your own blade, and also protecting your hands from the enemy blade. Guards come in all shapes and sizes, and is a nice way to customize a sword by simply swapping out guards.
Pommel- European swords unlike japanese katana have what is known as a Pommel, a Pommel is a piece of metal, ranging in size,shape, and weight, used to counterbalance the blade Pommel weights will vary based on the overall balance of the sword, swapping out pommels can effect how the sword balances.
Grip- The grip or handle, is the part of the sword you grab when wielding it, grips are often made of wood wrapped in cord and topped with leather, though the possibilities are endless.
Assembly Methods
European swords vary in assembly method, Namely, the manner in which the handle is attached to the blade.
Peened Pommel- a Peened pommel is the most historic method of assembly, the guard grip, and pommel are pounded onto the blade and the Tang protruding from the pommel is heated and pounded flat, the pressure of the peen holds the sword together.
Hex Nut-In more modern swords, a "hex nut" construction is used, in a hex nut construction, the end of tang is threaded and a recessed hex nut is screwed onto the tang down into the pommel, the friction of the tightened screw holds the sword together, and the sword can be disassembled by simply unscrewing the hex nut as opposed to peening which is essentially permanent.
Threaded Pommel- the threaded pommel is a less desirable method, the pommel and tang are threaded and the pommel is twisted on, the problem with this method is, unnecessary stress is put on the tang and it can break, also over time, the threading will looses and you will have to screw the pommel tighter to hold the sword together, thats all fine and dandy with a Ball pommel, but with any other pommel, it will misalign and look stupid.
Keyed- any quality pommel is "keyed" to fit the tang, this makes it so that the pommel can not twist on the tang and become misaligned like often seen with screw on pommels.
Here's a short video showing the assembly via the Peen Method
Misconceptions about European swords
There are alot of uninformed people out there who make outrageous statements about euro swords, and often advertise themselves as an "expert" Heres a few common misconceptions that are outright untrue
"European swords were not sharpened or were barely sharpened, they are made for blunt trauma not cutting" this is totaly untrue, Maces and Flails were made for blunt trauma, a sword is made to cut, and european swords WERE sharpened and quite capable of cutting.
"European swords weighed 6-15 pounds and were very slow and cumbersome to wield" Once again, this is outright False. European swords had excellent balance, and weighed 2-4 lbs, sure there are some examples of larger heavier swords such as the Great sword, or Zweihander, but these swords were also well balanced and quite wield-able.
"Euro swords are not well suited for cutting, katanas are way better" Once again, untrue, European swords are just as capable for backyard cutting as katanas as this video will demonstrate
What to look for when buying
When purchasing Euro swords, some things to look for are weight, point of balance, and type of steel. Overly heavy or unbalanced european swords can be a pain in the shoulder to wield, and with experience you will figure out what is right for You. I personally prefer more blade heavy type swords as opposed to the light quick blades, this is all personal preference.
What to AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE when buying
Any sword made of "stainless steel" or "440 Stainless" ext. is a major NO NO. I dont care if the vendor advertises it as indestructable. Stainless steel is UNSAFE for a sword blade, it is highly brittle and can shatter or break.
Avoid vendors who use terms such as "tree splitting sharp" "indestructible" "can chop iron" or make boasts that their swords are capable of smashing cinder blocks with no damage or "cutting through other swords like butter" These words are used to trick you into thinking your getting something good. Avoid too good to be true prices, if you see a sword selling for 39$ advertised as gods greatest gift, 99.99% of the time its a piece of garbage.
What is best for me?
When purchasing a Euro sword you need to ask yourself "what do i want in a sword?"
Do you want a cutting sword, a functional display piece, a Stage steel sword for sparring, what is it you as the customer want in your sword. There are Many euopean swords advertised as stage steel, these are often beefier heavy blades, blunt, and made for sparring and acting, such as youd see in movies or plays. they are made to take abuse and punishment that would destroy the egde of a cutting sword.
Oakshotte types
During reading posts about euro swords you may see people throw around terms like Oakshotte type XVII or something along the lines, this is a kind of categorization of european swords based on different things like blade geometry and features unique to the swords that fall into the typology. A simple google search for oakshotte typology will give you loads of information about all the different types, heres an image showing a generalized picture of the different types.
Sizes and styles of blades
There are countless different blade sizes and styles among Euro swords, everything from short 1 handed arming swords to the massive scottish claymore, when looking at different types you will see what appeals to you and what doesn't, and with a litle research you can determine how the types of swords you enjoy handle when wielded.
REPUTABLE DEALERS
this is a list of reputable dealers, this by no means covers ALL of them and this is limited to what i can come up with off the top of my head
Albion
Hanwei
Valient Armory
Darksword Armory
Kult of Athena
Dynasty forge
wiwingti sword supply
Fable Blades
Odin Blades
Tried and True armory/ATRIM
Tinker Pierce
Mad Dwarf Workshop
Windlass SteelCrafts/Museumreplicas
SwordNation
Upkeep
Proper maintenance is a MUST if you want your swords to stay sharp and shiny, and if properly maintained, your swords will outlive you and be an Heirloom for generations to come if you wish it.
ALWAYS clean and oil your blade when you are finished with it, i will outline how i personally care for my blades, it is not a perfect method, nor the only one, but it works for me
1. Wipe the sword with a dry cloth if its wet, to remove water, and any solid particles from your cutting session
2. Spray windex or some kind of glass cleaner on the blade, and wipe it down with paper towels or a soft cloth.
3. Use a polishing compound such as never dull or mothers mag polish (i use both one after another) follow the instructions on the container.
4. Repeat step 2
5. apply a coat of oil, ive used everything from remmington gun oil, Hoppes gun oil, WD40, or 3 in 1. it doesn't make much difference. use a smooth cloth and wipe an even coat covering the entire surface of the blade, and wipe off excess oil.
SHARPENING
Sharpening is part of upkeep, if you use your sword it can lose its edge, also some swords may not come as sharp as youd like from the factory, nobody explains sharpening better than Tom K, so heres links to his famous sharpening videos.
Cutting
Cutting, IMO is the best part of sword ownership, and ill share with you some common cutting mediums, and some cutting mediums to avoid.
Tatami- Tatami is a very good cutting target, and thats exactly what its made for, the mats can be ordered online.
Beach Matts- can be found at your local dollar store, they are softer than tatami but they still work
Plastic bottles- any plastic bottle or jug filled with water makes an excellent target, i often buy 24 r 30 packs of bottled water for like 5 bucks and use them. Milk jugs are my favorite
CUTTING MEDIUMS TO AVOID
Some of these may seem odd...but trust me...there are people who have attempted it
Ice Blocks
Cinderblocks
Bricks
Metal Pipes
Trees
Tv's
radios
these will destroy your sword no matter how badass it is.
SAFETY
when it comes to swords SAFETY COMES FIRST
when you do cutting or even just practice swings, make sure your alone, and nobody is within reach of the bade, serious injury can come about if your cutting in a crowded area or someone steps into the blades range of motion
use common sense, dont drag the blade across any part of your body, dont swordfight with live blades, and dont throw your sword. Keep your sword secured safely in its scabbard if you arent using it.