When we think of swords, their blade is always at the forefront. We envision its sharp edge slicing through enemies or dragons with slow precision – or perhaps cutting open watermelons slowly!
But to understand how a blade functions, one must examine its static and dynamic properties, which requires knowledge of its language.
The Blade
The blade of any sword is its core component, performing all the slicing and dicing. It may be double- or single-edged with false edges near its tip to allow thrusting. Crafters may choose from several steel grades with various heat treatments that produce different qualities; features like hamon lines, central ridges, and fullers are available to customize each type.
To create the blade, the smith begins with a piece of metal that is covered with yakibatsuchi – a mixture of water, clay, ash, and other ingredients (usually kept confidential by each smith) before being heated at high temperatures in a furnace; when heated to such extremes of heat the crystal structures in metal begin to change, thus tempering its design and producing an end product with greater resilience than its counterparts.
A bladesmith can then refine their blade by grinding it to its final form, eliminating flaws, and ensuring all edges are sharp. They may also choose to add a yeoman – an area on the spine that slopes down towards its point – which can provide strength and stability to their blade.
Fullers, which consist of shallow grooves that run along the blade’s length, lighten and strengthen its strength and flexibility, while risers provide stiff raised sections that increase stability and help it better withstand crushing blows. Finally, when not in use, each blade is protected by its protective cover sheath.
The Point
The point of a blade is its most fragile area and where thrusting attacks take place. Swords may be single- or double-edged, with doubled-edged swords having an additional sharpened section called a false edge on either blade. Many blades also include features like fullers – shallow grooves that lighten and strengthen it – as well as risers, which stiffly rise over portions of their blade for extra flexibility and strength – in addition to risers which stiffly raise pieces of their blade over a bit of its edge for added flexural strength as well as risers stiffly over parts of their length for enhanced flex and power of their strength flex and strength flex strength improvements over length flexure.
Foible (weak) and forte (which tapers more or less sharply to its point) are terms used for parts of a blade close to its hilt. Depending on the hilt design, a sword’s center of gravity tends to lie along its length.
Aristotle described when a sword hit an immobile hard object as experiencing “violent motion” rather than its natural or normal movement. This causes rapid changes to the linear and angular velocities of its blade, which then causes it to pivot around some point on its hilt depending on where its impact occurred on the target.
Various parameters contribute to how this occurs, including the shape of the hilt and blade, steel type, forging techniques, pattern-welding methods, pommel size, and pommel diameter. Although some aspects can be measured objectively without human judgment affecting results, sword users might perceive their sword handles differently even though their technical data shows comparable performance.
The Fuller
Swords are agile and durable, designed to cut enemies while remaining durable for combat. This delicate balance lies within each blade’s center, known as its fuller.
Fullers are grooves along the center of a sword’s blade that are commonly mislabeled as blood grooves; their purpose, however, has nothing to do with bodily fluids and are designed to reduce weight without compromising strength – they act similarly to steel girders in construction projects allowing swordsmiths to create thinner blades capable of withstanding more significant stress without compromise to structural integrity.
Fullers come in all shapes and sizes: wide or narrow, shallow or deep; they may cover an entire sword’s length or be nonexistent altogether. When seen from above, its edge should be parallel to its point while a slightly more curved ridge runs down its center; these features make slicing through flesh and bone easier with this blade.
For ease in finding the secondary node, gently strike the sword to cause it to vibrate; once this vibration subsides at your index finger of your hand, it marks its location – this node marks where its most vital part resides and also where maximum flexibility of the sword exists – important because this allows easy manipulation while contributing towards the strong but flexible blade.
The Grips
When wielding a sword, not just its blade is essential. Additionally, understanding its anatomy is paramount to try your luck or prepare for live-action fantasy battles with friends or coworkers.
The hilt is composed of the pommel, crossguard, and grip. These components separate hands from sharp blades while protecting them against blows from other swords or heavy objects. Hilts may be metal or wood, often covered with shagreen (untanned tough leather) or ray skin; in 19th-century Japan, katana swords were usually coated in rubber for additional grip protection.
Depending on the type of sword, it may have one or two grips. Each grip typically consists of a core of wood or horn covered by metal for added strength and features contoured surfaces for security and comfort. Furthermore, crossguards offer extra protection, and a pommel or quillon adds a decorative flourish.
To properly hold a sword, start by placing your index finger over the outside arm of the pommel and around the inside edge. Relax your thumb so it slips below the inner quillon, curl your middle finger around its tip to tighten its grip, and raise its point – this technique is known as Cutting Grip; recommended when greater force needs to be applied to the sword while providing balance for hand and forearm movements.
The Pommel
The pommel of a sword’s hilt serves two essential purposes: it prevents your weapon from slipping in your hand while providing a counterbalance for more maneuverability.
A pommel may be decorated with intricate etchings or left unadorned. Its shape may also vary according to the sword design and cultural influences; early Crusaders would mount religious artifacts into their pommels as protection on their journeys.
Some pommels are large and heavy, serving to offset the weight of the blade and provide balance to the sword; others are lightweight yet decorative; adding style and flair to its hilt.
Though it is part of the hilt, pommel can often be mistakenly used to refer to all aspects of a sword’s design. This misperception may lead to confusion when discussing swords; therefore, it is vital that everyone involved understands the difference between a pommel and a sword.
While a pommel is an integral component of any sword, it should never be used as a weapon against another person. Doing so could damage both itself and its user. Instead, its primary use should be stabilization while striking with the blade.
As an illustration of this point, try holding a hammer by its handle and seeing how difficult it is to change direction or control. Now pick it up by its head and see how much easier it is to move and power, due to having its center of gravity closer to you than with its handle.
