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Post by swno on Oct 11, 2020 11:31:33 GMT
How would one sharpen a broadsword in the field ? (Suppose you do not have access to a building with 110AC to run belts on.....) If there is a terminology problem regarding what kind of sword I am referring to, here is one at 11:17 here:
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Post by RufusScorpius on Oct 11, 2020 13:05:34 GMT
Generally speaking, back in olden times anybody that could afford a sword would have people to sharpen it for him. The specialist would probably be a blacksmith with a portable stone wheel. Or their page boy or squire would know how to do it as part of their education. The tools are very similar to what we use today as far as sharpening stones are concerned. As I said before, they would have access to a stone wheel for powered sharpening. In truth, the wheel probably gives a better result than a belt grinder because you have direct control over the speed.
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Post by swno on Oct 11, 2020 13:10:30 GMT
Generally speaking, back in olden times anybody that could afford a sword would have people to sharpen it for him. The specialist would probably be a blacksmith with a portable stone wheel. Or their page boy or squire would know how to do it as part of their education. The tools are very similar to what we use today as far as sharpening stones are concerned. As I said before, they would have access to a stone wheel for powered sharpening. In truth, the wheel probably gives a better result than a belt grinder because you have direct control over the speed. Like this below? It seems that would be a lot of weight to carry around.
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Post by swno on Oct 11, 2020 13:13:39 GMT
(It takes two hands on the sword and one to turn the wheel [three hands], unless you can operate it by foot.)
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Post by Deleted on Oct 11, 2020 13:14:49 GMT
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Post by MOK on Oct 11, 2020 13:20:49 GMT
"In the field"? You just touch it up with a smaller stone if really needed. When you get back to camp/home, you - or a servant of yours, if you have one - can take more proper care of it with foot-powered wheels and such.
(The sword in the video is a late Medieval longsword. Broadswords are more of a Renaissance and later thing, "broad" specifically in comparison to rapiers, smallswords and spadroons, and distinct from sabers in being straight and from backswords in being fully double-edged.)
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Post by swno on Oct 11, 2020 13:26:53 GMT
I assume a ceramic rod would also work.
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Post by MOK on Oct 11, 2020 13:52:37 GMT
I assume a ceramic rod would also work. Yeah, any reasonably flat mild abrasive would. For example, the unglazed ring at the bottom of a ceramic mug or plate. Or certain natural river stones. Personally I really like my Dianova lapstone.
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Post by RufusScorpius on Oct 11, 2020 14:23:35 GMT
I would suspect most farmers would have a pocket stone like the still carry today for touching up in the field with better stuff back at the house.
Nothing much is different today except now some people use diamond rods or similar vs natural stones.
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pgandy
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Post by pgandy on Oct 11, 2020 15:26:31 GMT
Not a broadsword, not ancient times but now with a machete but the practice is a carryover from the past; I’ve seen many a man sharpen his machete with a file they carry. But as been pointed out if one could afford a broadsword one had servants to do the chore. As time progressed and swords became available to the masses most anything could and I’m sure was used in a pinch such as a rock. There were camp followers that had more sophisticated equipment.
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harrybeck
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Post by harrybeck on Oct 11, 2020 17:48:29 GMT
Don't watch conan ruin hi sword so much.
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Post by pellius on Oct 12, 2020 0:53:11 GMT
In the modern field, for touching up an edge that has dulled from use, I would suggest a packet of wet/dry sandpaper at 220 grit or so, a bottle of mineral oil, and a wide roll of masking tape.
Find a table, bench, curb, door frame, or other fairly straight edge. Tape a sheet of sandpaper over the edge, abrasive side out. Dampen your blade with oil, and push/pull it along the sandpaper edge until sharp.
Just a thought.
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Post by swno on Oct 12, 2020 2:00:00 GMT
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Post by swno on Oct 12, 2020 6:05:52 GMT
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