Thracian Sica

[Davnoros]

There was once a long knife used in ancient Thrace called a sica. The blade is around 20" long and bent about 20 degrees near its middle. Single edged, sharpened on the inside of the angle.

Question: how would one forge such a blade, and keep the inner vertex from compressing, making sharpening more difficult? Seems to me that the metal would be just as likely to try to compress as the outer edge would expand. The one in question is third from the left in the attachment.

Any ideas?

[Rich Hale]

That would be an interseting piece to forge. I can think of a of way that will work. You can bump the middle section so it has more stock to work with where you wish the bend to be. Simply put you heat just that area and stand the piece verticle on the face of the anvil and strike the top end ,,do this s few times until the area is thicker and wider. And yes it will bend in almost all directions,,,I go back to the fire before heat is lost and straighten before heat. Then I would narrow the area where I will bend...make the wider part more narrow, When you start the bend and taper it down to the edge the spine will thin and the edge will thicken,,,the extra metal you bumped in will take car of the spine, and the spot you narrowed on the edge side will grow out as you this..HOw much to bump in and how much to nwrrow will be hit and miss on your first one. I would bump until that area is half again as thick for starters,,and narrow about one forth of the width. May play with some mild just for figureing out how much...Good luck and take pics.

[ksb]

Form forward part of blade - thin inside of area where bend will be - it will thicken when you curve it. Form bend over anvil horn or bick.

ksb