[Regia-NA] Qualifying a sword

[J K Siddorn]

The material we have long recommended for combat swords blades is commercial
quality spring steel, hardened at 900c and tempered between 490c and 510c.
It is the steel used for automotive leaf springs, so is very widely
available.

Any sword blade made in this way should be able to spring back to its
original straightness when bend tested BY HAND. If it does not - or the
vendor will not let you try! - don't buy it.

There may be better steels now available, but they must be compatible with
the earlier standard and the steel must be readily available commercially
from outlets in most big cities.

You might like to know that wedge section spring steel (such as we use for
scramsaex blades) is used by agricultural and civil engineering plant
repairers as edging material for digger buckets.


Regards,

Kim Siddorn

----- Original Message -----
From: "Wulfhere se Treowryhta" <wulfhere@masspostroad.net>
To: <list-regia-na@lig.net>
Sent: Monday, October 20, 2003 3:46 PM
Subject: [Regia-NA] Qualifying a sword


> What is the process for qualifying a sword for combat? Is there some
> standard tests for blade durability or perhaps a specified steel? I'm
> thinking that nickel alloy carbon steel used for saw blades would be
> fantastic in the right thickness. Very stiff but it will bend before
> breaking.
>
>
>    I sincerely don't want to "pick anyones pocket" but for those of us
> in the states, getting good practice/combat blades is a frightfully
> expensive process. I have a close friend who owns his own machine shop
> and my company has a 2200watt CO2 laser that can cut steel up to 1/2"
> thick with very little disruption to the metal structure. I priced M2,
> which is one of the more expensive alloys I have seen, and it's still
> less than $50 for a blade.
>
>    Any help, greatly appreciated.