Rainsfire,
this has opened a can of worms that could easaly turn into dispute. (it could get really fun in here!!)
i'll give you my opinion and my experience of swords...
for a cutting sword...like a cutlass or falcata or "machete" the balencing point should be around one third from the butt. if you want it light it can't be much more than maybe 27" which is a standard length for a cutlass. using the 5160 would be ok. personally i would go with 1087 but thats jsut me. wit the 5160 for a single edged cutting sword i would do a full quench. then selective temer the spine back to...greyish. leaving the cutting edge straw. drawing the full handle to a blue. also i would stick with a flat grind but making sure not to get the cutting edge TO thin or it will roll.
for a double edged sword. you get into not only lateral geometry but also logitudinal geometry. (keeping everything straight) with a single edge sword it's ok actualy recomended to have a curv in it to help with the cutting motion. (thats why a machete blade has a gigantic curve in the tip of the blade) but with a double edged blade it's more of a sword than a slicing or cutting sword. again stick with the flat grind. the balenceing point should be right at the blade/riccaso line. the riccaso should be about twice the thickness of the handle. for a true sword i would again not go any longre than 27" alot like a gladius hispaniensis. Again i would go for the full quench and the selective temper to selectively temer a double endge sword you need to harded the whole thing then polish it some so you can see the colors run. lay the piece down on a steel table and heat up a VERY large piece of plain old steel to red hot. lay that hot iron over the ridge in the sword and eventually when enough heat has travled fro mthe hot piece to the sword you will start to see colors running from the center out to the edges. you need to do this so the the cutting edges are still straw hard. but the center of the blade is as soft as possible while still mantaining strenth.
i hope this helped
this is jsut my knowledge take it for what it is. i'm am by no definition of the word a master. there are cirtainly othres here who much better than myself.
Son Daughtry
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