> Message: 8
> Date: Thu, 06 Jul 2000 08:44:04 -0000
> From: "Jarec Basham" <jarec_at_...>
> Subject: Re: 2 sword fighting
>
> Haven't really been following this thread so this may have been
> mentioned, but doesn't it mention in Beowulf that the hero 'Beowulf'
> has to stop during the fight to straighten his Bronze sword?
>
> I think the whole point is that Bronze doesn't snap, it bends. This
> would also mean it would lose its edge quite quickly and become
> little more than a stylish club.
>
Actaully that is exactly what western swords where. Particularily as armor developed. A sharp edge was not really required nor appropiate. It was the Eastern katana that was made for cutting and had a sharp edge (and as a result tended to snap in battle). Western blades were made for bashing on strong objects like shields and armor. A wack with any 6 lb object with 2 feet of wrist leverage plus other arm/hip action doesn't need to be sharp.
2 Handed western swords and likely Bastard swords were never sharpened at all. They didn't need it.
Side point:
A number of tapered western blades existed long before fencing developed. They included
the Vagesse blade, with a base width of around 4 inches. Often pictured in medievel
pictures cleaving open enclosed helmets or splitting open chainmail and person inside.
Eastern styles (Japanese) depended more on archery for a long time. Thus sword techniques, and the sword, where meant to be more used by mobile skirmisher types.
Brian Laxson
>
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