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Post by Tom K. (ianflaer) on May 5, 2008 4:09:31 GMT
I just cleaned up my old bastard sword. I've had it for 17 years and had abused and neglected it as a kid. It's been lying, dejected in the back of my closets for a long time. well this weekend I pulled it out, took it apart and cleaned it up. specs first: Made by Ye Silver Castle of heat treated D-2 steel blade is 29.5 inches long, 1.75 inches wide straight down to the point, and about 3/16th inch thick no taper. handle is 10.75 inches weight is: HEAVY! She feels heavier than a 3lb dumbell but less than a 5 so I'll gues about 3.5 lb-ish but may be closer to 4. POB: 6 inches from cross guard price (in 1991): $300-ish tang is solid but threaded hilt furniture is brass (bronze cross guard) first I edged her up with a file then I stripped her down with 220 grit trying to get all the scratches and rust spots out, but alas a scratch or two were too deep, but most came out handily. 400 grit next followed by whetstones to sharpen. I have three grits of stone. more 400 wet/dry paper, then 800, 1000 and finally 2000 grit wet/dry paper and I had her restored to something like her original mirror polish (close to mirror, very close). So what do you all think? she's D-2, got square tang shoulders, and maybe a slightly narrow tang, but is well hardened and heat treated. She's stiff but springy. you think she's safe to cut with? what about D-2 in general for a sword? I haven't seen anyone talking about using it. picture link below. s283.photobucket.com/albums/kk292/ianflaer/
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2008 4:22:15 GMT
Looks like you did a great job on the finishing!
It doesn't look like it, but if there are any welds on the tang it's probably not a good idea to cut with it (unless properly tempered). Looks like a nice sword otherwise, I'd be starting on dry swinging and then pool noodles to see how it holds together.
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Post by randomnobody on May 5, 2008 4:25:03 GMT
www.westyorkssteel.com/Product_Info/Tool_Steel/d2.htmI have no idea what this means. My greatest concern is that when assembled, the hilt structure makes the tang look quite small, but unassembled it looks stout enough. Squared-off shoulders are less favorable than rounded, but if this thing's been done right, it should be fine. That's a monster of a blade, but the POB is fair enough for its size. How's it feel in a swing? If it feels loose or wobbly at all, I wouldn't try cutting, but if it feels sturdy enough, start it off on something light, some cardboard perhaps, then work up to the thinner plastic bottles (milk jugs maybe) and see how it hits 'em. Keep an eye on the screw bits, though. Vyapada snuck one in before me, but it seems we're in agreement. I found a second source on properties with a tidbit on uses: www.flatstockexpress.com/technical/toold2.stl
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Post by Tom K. (ianflaer) on May 5, 2008 4:31:14 GMT
I've done dry swings recently and as a kid I played around with it but never really hit anything with it. there are no welds, the tang is solid. the balance isn't bad but the weight is. this sword is like swinging a well balanced tree. it comes up to speed pretty well and wistles through the air but she doesn't like to stop, and I'm a big boy (230 pounds and strong). I imagine that once I get her up to speed the momentum generated means she's either gonna blow through anything she hits or blow apart. hopefully not the latter. edit: Randomnobody: thanks for that link that's some good info! 1.5% carbon is a LOT. consider Cheness' famous 9260 with only 0.6% carbon. that means that it could get REALLY hard. they say it has a high surface hardness and I can attest to that. the files, whetstones, and sand paper I used barely scratched it unless I really worked it hard. it took me all weekend to do this project and that includes friday.
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Post by randomnobody on May 5, 2008 4:44:48 GMT
Yeah, it can apparently run into the low-60's Rockwell. Not bad, but I wonder how "brittle" it is up there. I imagine yours might be upper-50's or so. Not too shabby. The weight, then, is really the only problem I can see with the sword. If it doesn't like stopping, I wouldn't go flailing about with it. Perhaps if you could find a good way of rolling it over its POB into recovery, then maybe keep up the flow somehow, otherwise do be careful swinging it around. I say try it on a few bottles. It should take it, but try not to over-swing; putting that thing through your own back probably won't be any good for you.
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Post by Tom K. (ianflaer) on May 5, 2008 4:57:31 GMT
oh I'm plenty good at rolling a moline or flowing into another strike, it's just that swinging this sword is more work than fun. I have 18 years of sword-in-hand experience in several different fashions, historical re-creation (SCA), Bujinkan dojo training, Toyama ryu (well second hand from a buddy who was in the dojo), and self studied based both on historical documents and practical aplication. I have, however, done very little cutting with live steel. so I'm starting off slowly. most of what I have done has been with rattan (SCA swords), shinai and boken.
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Post by randomnobody on May 5, 2008 4:59:00 GMT
Oh, well, then, forgive my ignorance of your resumé. Kidding, of course. That's an impressive background. You should be just fine, then; have a go! Oh, be sure to record it all for us.
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2008 5:54:03 GMT
It doesn't matter how much study you have done, cutting is a different story all together, all the study will do is help you with your form when you get there.
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Post by randomnobody on May 5, 2008 6:05:17 GMT
The form, rather basic handling, was the part I was most concerned with. We've seen stevew64's cutting with his custom DSA, we've seen tsafa having at it with tatami, we've seen ShooterMike showing everybody up. As long as one knows how to keep the sharp bits away from their own body and moving a direction they had planned, then I figure they can try to cut something without worrying about losing a limb. Even I, having zero "training" or "study" in technique and form can pick up a sword and bat away at things without hitting myself. Besides, what is cutting but an exercise in form?
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Post by Tom K. (ianflaer) on May 5, 2008 9:36:49 GMT
well, like I said, I'm taking it slow for exactly the reason bloodwraith mentioned. I don't believe I've hit myself with my own stick in something like 15 years but doing that is considerably less an issue than doing it in steel. I'll see if I can get the camera out there to make a vid but it won't be a very good one. the only video camera I have is my regular digital cam in video mode. works ok but not what it was made to be good at. I have a target stand built in anticipation of the arrival of my Kaze so maybe I'll play with both of them the same day. hopefully today. *please, please,please (praying to the mail gods)*
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