[Regia-NA] Qualifying a sword

[Allan McVie]

At 10:46 20/10/2003 -0400, you wrote:
>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.
>
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Hi
I think the MAA is on this list  so should be able to help out. I have cut 
and pasted some bits of the MAA regs which may help you out in the mean 
time. Most UK  swords are made from spring steel refered to as EN45 over here
Allan

>5. SOME  NOTES ON '' SPRING
>STEEL  ''
>Without a large and expensive laboratory, it is almost
>impossible to determine or categorise the exact grades of
>steel that have been used in the construction of a weapon.
>We allow some weapons to be made from mild steel. This
>is fairly easy to spot as, generally, it dents and burrs
>readily and will bend and stay set to that bend. Other
>weapons we insist are made from "spring steel". EN42,
>EN45, case hardening and other terms abound, and very
>few people have any idea what they are or what they
>mean. It is easy to accept the reply "oh it's spring", when
>we ask a manufacturer what he has made a weapon from.
>What is needed is a test of whether a weapon is suitable
>for re-enactment purposes, and the approved method for
>testing a suspect item will be as follows:
>5.1  BENDING  TEST
>When a bending load is applied, a blade should take up
>the load progressively without yield or set. The deflection
>of the blade should be proportional to the varying load
>applied to it (a slight variation on Hooke's Law). When
>the load is released, the blade should spring quickly back
>to its original state, exhibiting no evidence of deformation.
>Page 13Page 13
>X
>< 1/2 Y
>X
> > 1/2 Y
>The depth of the notch
>(X)
>Must NOT be greater
>than half the width of
>the notch
>(Y)
>5.2  NOTCH HARDNESS  ( STRIKE )  TEST
>Figure 2: The Strike Test
>When the edge of a blade is struck with reasonable force
>by the edge of another blade of known and approved
>properties, the edge of the struck blade should not show
>excessive burring or chipping. On inspection of any notch
>produced in the struck blade, the depth of the notch
>should not exceed more than half of the width of the
>notch. (See fig.2)
>These tests will not normally be carried out at regular kit
>checks but are provided merely as a guide. Obviously,
>they may be carried out by the M.A.A. or one of his
>appointed deputies on any weapon believed to be of
>suspicious construction.
>NOTE
>Pattern welded or leaf welded blades may be considered
>to be a "composite spring" steel and although
>these blades will all be judged on their own merit, the
>above tests may be applied to determine their suitability
>for re-enactment use.
>Y
>Page 14Page 14
>6. M MANDATORY ANDATORY RULINGS ULINGS FOR
>ALL LL WEAPONS EAPONS
>1) All weapon blades, tangs and sockets must be made
>from steel. They must be rust and burr free and must be of
>good overall construction and condition.
>2) All weapons edges must be no less than 3mm (1/8")
>and no more than 5mm (1/5") in thickness. In cross section,
>the edge may be rounded or round shouldered but
>must not be square edged (fig.3). The edges of a weapon
>must include its cutting surface and its back edges also.

>Sword7Sword.3 S SWORDS WORDS
>1) Blade length : 560mm - 915mm
>(22" - 36")
>2) Maximum weight: 2.27 Kg
>(5 lb)
>NOTES
>i) All blades must have a fuller on both sides of not
>less than 1/3 the total width of the blade. This fuller
>should not be square shouldered.
>ii) Blades should taper evenly from crossguard to tip.
>iii) The handgrip of the sword from crossguard to
>pommel should not exceed the width of the user's gloved
>hand by more than 25mm (1" ).
>iv) Rarer patterns of swords (Norwegian single edged
>etc) will be judged on an individual basis. (See Section 3
>M.A.A Kit Specs).
>Page 19Page 19