Sidney Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 I feel much safer now knowing that swords were not designed to cut trees. My old quarter staff just might be sword proof. Trees come in all sizes. Small green ones are particularaly easy to cut. It would be a poor piece of steel that wouldn't cut wood. Steel is really good at cutting wood. Thats why it took over from flint pointed spears. Swords are old tech and fought a variety of old tech weapons through out the ages.. I don't belive swords cut rock. My chainsaw won't. Nails will ruin an axe or sword edge and its a shame when it happens. A strong sword could break some rock but then so can some people. It would be an advantage if a sword could withstand a blow on a iron helm. A sword strong enough to the deform the helm and head underneath it. Or strong enough to cleave a shield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt87 Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 (edited) I feel much safer now knowing that swords were not designed to cut trees. My old quarter staff just might be sword proof. Trees come in all sizes. Small green ones are particularaly easy to cut. It would be a poor piece of steel that wouldn't cut wood. Great. I'll go fell a tree with a hex-nut then. Or my anvil. There is more to producing a good cutting edge than material selection.Steel is really good at cutting wood. Thats why it took over from flint pointed spears. It completely varies depending on region, social class and various other factors, but generally iron- and steel-pointed spears took over from copper- or bronze-pointed spears, which took over from stone-pointed spears. And to be pedantic, no weapon 'took over' from another, not only would this require animate activity from an inanimate object, but tool types typically follow a trend of use rather than the hard change-over point implied by your use of the phrase 'took over'.It would be an advantage if a sword could withstand a blow on a iron helm. Thus the spring temper and possibly a compromise grind.A sword strong enough to the deform the helm and head underneath it. It's nothing to do with strength, it's to do with energy. If you were to take a 4lb hammer and give a good swing at an iron helm, yes it might deform enough to deform the skull of any unfortunate inside it at the time. But a sword has a sharp edge so is more likely to skate off the helm, and has a different distribution of weight than a hammer.Or strong enough to cleave a shield. Again it's nothing to do with strength. Ever tried chopping a bit of seasoned hardwood with an axe which has been ground and honed appropriately -- both parallel to and across the grain? Now apply that to an awkward angle/direction of stroke, a possibly cross-laminated shield covered in rawhide, a weapon with a different weight distribution and a different grind. Oh, and getting the stroke in while your opponent tries to disembowel you with his spear or axe or sword. Edited March 30, 2009 by matt87 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Miyamoto Musashi lost a "duel" to a fellow using a staff---it's not the material that is necessarily sword proof but the user. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gypsy Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 How come everyone seems to want to do things with swords that they were never meant to do? Swords were never meant to cut stone, steel, cinder blocks, other swords,, car hoods, anvils, etc.... even heavy swords "back in the day" that they actually used them were meant to cut FLESH! Yes they bounced off armor sometimes but with the expense of steel at the time & the fact that your life was placed on the weapon, the warrior truly tried to hit nothing but flesh if possible. I blame this obsession of hitting things with swords on Hollywood & youthful vigor as when I was younger I made a lot of swords for "live steel fighters" & other reenactment groups. and these folks do lot of stupid things with swords that swords were never intended on doing... fact is as previously stated swords are a refined tool that is not for cutting stone, however you may refer clients in need of such an item for I excel at making "crowbars with edges & cross guards" :)LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasaron Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Hrm. I will sum this whole thread up, since it's very early in the morning. Swords are Tools. Specifically a class of tool Called a Weapon. Weapon's primary function is to kill. Swords normally do so by causing blood loss and trauma due to lacerations of the skin, or organ damage.. Skin and flesh is soft, and elastic. Stone is hard and brittle. Steel is tough, and hard, but not as elastic as skin, or as hard as stone. A sword, due to it's primary function of penetrating the skin and causing lacerations, is ill-suited to penetrate and cut stone. Therefore, a sword that can cleave stone would normally not be mechanically suited for cutting flesh, either by way of it's difficulty of use, or by way of it's mechanical properties. It's like saying "The greatest frying pans can safely contain red-hot molten lava." Certainly, yes it is quite a feat, but one that does not qualify it as "the greatest frying pan" and most likely will cause the destruction of said pan. Also, Chainblade. (Simply cause a post this serious needs SOME humor!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonflySmithy Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 If you are out of Virgins blood you can sub it for babies tears. I have good luck using that as a quench agent. For some reason virgins are getting harder and harder to find these days.:rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 For some reason virgins are getting harder and harder to find these days. That and it's easier to make a baby cry . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonflySmithy Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 The best alloy I think for the OP to use is Adamantium. It should produce a sword that will meet his standards. I don't know of any mill that is making it any more but he might be able to find it in a scrap yard somewere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damascus Mike Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Ive seen a broad sword make from completely Tungsten and the guy swung it at a stop sign and it sliced through the sign so easily that the sword had so much momentim left it inbeded its self half way into a 84 kg rock,we needed to get a fork lift to get the rock to his house because he could even get the sword to move,the sword now stands in his house still inside the rock,haha i said to him that it reminds me of excalibre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Mike, a few real nice and clear pics of the sord in the rock would let me get a better idea of this whole picture. I will watch for the pics, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnr Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 And here I thought that the sword in the stone was just Celtic mythology. Finnr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rthibeau Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 (edited) I would like to see the photos of the tungsten sword in stone as well. If they are never posted, then that would prove the veracity of the (im)poster. Edited May 26, 2009 by rthibeau semantics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitewatchman Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 (edited) Tungsten???? What a long strange trip it's been. (JG of the GD) Edited May 27, 2009 by nitewatchman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Doesn't this just make you giddy to have damascus Mike back? You don't think he's actually reading any of these replies do you? My guess is around 12yrs. Whatchathink? Frosty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Ive seen a broad sword make from completely Tungsten and the guy swung it at a stop sign and it sliced through the sign so easily that the sword had so much momentim left it inbeded its self half way into a 84 kg rock,we needed to get a fork lift to get the rock to his house because he could even get the sword to move,the sword now stands in his house still inside the rock,haha i said to him that it reminds me of excalibre Would it be too much trouble to provide us with photos of this sword stuck in the rock in from of the fellows house? A long shot and several close ups of the entrance into the stone as well as where the blade enters and exits the stone would be nice. I would like to attach it to your post for reference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unkle spike Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 This is a sword........this is a swordmaker on Drugs. Any Questions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damascus Mike Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 12 yrs?you think im 12 years old?or what do you mean?ill get the pic next time i see him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damascus Mike Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Would it be too much trouble to provide us with photos of this sword stuck in the rock in from of the fellows house? A long shot and several close ups of the entrance into the stone as well as where the blade enters and exits the stone would be nice. I would like to attach it to your post for reference. Well i dont know if you read my post right, i didnt say it went right through the stone, it just entered it went it sliced through the stop sign Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt87 Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 And here I thought that the sword in the stone was just Celtic mythology. Finnr A gentleman that does a lot of historical copper and bronze smelting and casting demos has a theory that the myth may have come about from a cast bronze sword getting stuck in a two-part stone mould... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 I think you talk like you're 12. Show us a pic of the "tungsten" sword stuck in a rock or come up with something that's at least plausible. Frosty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPH Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Ok I can't keep quiet any longer.."complete tungsten"?? W/Wolfram/Tungsten is way too brittle by itself to make a sword out of..however an alloy with W in it can be a very good thing but pure W?? NO WAY..and the really funny thing about it is it isn't all that hard in the pure state either..I have cut W bars with a bimetal hacksaw when I am doing my wootz melts.. Now tungsten carbide is a different beast but since this fellow mentioned just W, then this is very suspect. Heck..pure W is used for light bulb filaments and it is easily drawn into wire..so how can it be hard enough to do what this kid said..Methinks he is just here to stir the pot up and get some sort of perverse pleasure out of it... JPH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 12 yrs?you think im 12 years old?or what do you mean?ill get the pic next time i see him Still waiting on that picture, and will update this thread to keep reminding you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unkle spike Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Legend + Myth = Truth ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damascus Mike Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Still waiting on that picture, and will update this thread to keep reminding you. im not ganna go out my way and drive all the way to him just to get a picture,but as i said the next time i go to him ill take a million pics if you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damascus Mike Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 (edited) Ok I can't keep quiet any longer.."complete tungsten"?? W/Wolfram/Tungsten is way too brittle by itself to make a sword out of..however an alloy with W in it can be a very good thing but pure W?? NO WAY..and the really funny thing about it is it isn't all that hard in the pure state either..I have cut W bars with a bimetal hacksaw when I am doing my wootz melts.. Now tungsten carbide is a different beast but since this fellow mentioned just W, then this is very suspect. Heck..pure W is used for light bulb filaments and it is easily drawn into wire..so how can it be hard enough to do what this kid said..Methinks he is just here to stir the pot up and get some sort of perverse pleasure out of it... JPH well then its proberly Tungsten carbon i dont know if its PURE tungsten or if it Tungsten carbide i was just told that its made from tungsten. Edited May 28, 2009 by Damascus Mike incorrect spelling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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