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Post by junon on Apr 15, 2013 13:07:36 GMT
What do you guys think? It's made from bronze... would it be a good performance sword? I like the look of it  www.bronze-age-swords.com/Britis ... ropean.htm Attachments:
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Post by WEWolf on Apr 15, 2013 19:40:08 GMT
I'm afraid I don't know enough to answer your question but I just had to say what an attractive sword that is. That thing is gorgeous.
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Post by Sir Thorfinn on Apr 16, 2013 0:53:58 GMT
Thoughts...bronze may roll on some bottles. It will definitely scratch. As a preformance weapon, it looks great, but if it were mine, I'd only use it on the softest targets. Crying over dinged bronze would be bad. But you will never tire of polishing it....  |
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Post by K. Vander Linde on Apr 16, 2013 1:07:29 GMT
I like my bronze blades to show use. If you do as well than go for it  |
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Post by Elheru Aran on Apr 16, 2013 14:38:22 GMT
Bronze can be work-hardened to some degree; the idea is to sharpen it by hammering the edge, which gives you the desired hardness. It'd probably do your standard 50c water bottle without any trouble, but it might scratch on, say, a Gatorade bottle...
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Post by Helleri on Apr 26, 2013 14:33:53 GMT
weather or not it will be good for performance is almost fully dependent on the composition of the copper alloy.
If it is something like 70% copper 25% tin 5% nickle. It will be relatively tough but with a low hardness (and there is a difference between toughness and hardness) and your worries will be largely cosmetic.
If closer to a more even blend like 60% copper 35% tin 5% zinc, it will have an even lower hardness and toughness.
If it is a copper-silicon alloy then you run into the issue of blending a heavy low fusible point metal with a high fusible point light metaloid, and while it will be heavy and finely detailed it will be extremely brittle.
Ideally you want a high tin, copper alloy with some nickle.. I have heard of osmium or iridium (and even osmiridium - an alloy between the two used for high end fountain pen tips) in place of nickle, and that would be supreme as far as a bronze goes. But, that is only rumor and I have never seen evidence of it. Nor, am I entirely sure it is possible (electroplating sure but it would be expensive and I can't see it as part of an alloy).
If the maker does not disclose the alloy upon request or can't tell you the exact composition (sometimes it's made from scrap melt and done more artistically then scientifically) back engineering with nitric and aqua marine acid is possible.
In any case the worst weapon grade bronze today would be better then the best of ancient times.As we can get our newer furnaces up to much higher temperatures then say an old bloomery. And, so we can separate and skim off far more aggregate which in the past would have made for weak points in blades, both bronze and iron...So you are still better off then an Ancient Macedonian would have been.
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Post by william m on Apr 26, 2013 15:22:29 GMT
Ah nice! Thats one of Neil's swords. I have seen one of these at the British museum in London.
I have not handled that one but as it is a leaf blade it will be a hard hitter due to a lot of the mass being quite forward. Also the grip and pommel are most likely hollow as they were in the originals.
Neil's bronze swords are IMO the finest in the world and are extremely close to how the originals would had been. The edges on his swords are work hardened, which makes the bronze extremely hard so I think it would be more likely to chip than roll. I'm not 100% sure on this as I haven't cut anything with my beloved bronze swords but I am aware of some tests having been carried out. In fact I think there is a test page on Neils sword of his Ewart park sword vs an iron age sword.
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Post by william m on Apr 26, 2013 15:38:09 GMT
Here is mine! Ewart park sword hilted by me.  |
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Post by Striderfly on Apr 26, 2013 17:16:16 GMT
That's good work on that handle. Beautiful sword. This is making me want to get into bronze.
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Post by william m on Apr 29, 2013 17:20:14 GMT
Just thinking that I am sure I saw the sword that this replicates in the British Museum. I will go through my photos and see if I can put it up here.
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Post by william m on Apr 29, 2013 17:41:03 GMT
Found it! Urnfield is on the far right. Sorry had to take an angled shot due to excessive reflections.  |
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Post by william m on May 5, 2013 8:55:55 GMT
Here are some more pics of this sword.  |
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2013 15:48:36 GMT
Hi,
As stated that is one of Neil's swords. Probably the only Bronze sword maker to buy from. The one I had was light and very fast. The blades are "cast sharp" as the originals were. More than sharp enough to do damage, but not as sharp as modern steel swords. I miss mine!
Robert
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