Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

motan · 23rd June 2016, 11:17 PM

Just few additional remarks:
I, and others, have mentioned strength/weight ratio as a factor. But this apparently very logical argument has a big hole in it. The main strength parameter to increase (per weight unit) is the lateral stiffness and this is NOT a good idea because it reduces lateral flexibility and increase the chances of bending and breaking. A lot has been done in sword forging to achieve the exact opposite-more flexibility, like in katanas (very functional swords indeed).
Air-pocketing and blood grooves do not make sense either if we consider physics and physiology. Suction (underpressure) does, in theory, because in battle situaton, a sword would have to be inserted and pulled out very quickly (much too fast for bleeding to develop). I beleive in empirical solutions, so this will remain a feeble theory untill experiments are conducted.
Why fullers then?

23rd June 2016, 11:17 PM	#21
motan Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Jerusalem Posts: 274	Why fullers? Just few additional remarks: I, and others, have mentioned strength/weight ratio as a factor. But this apparently very logical argument has a big hole in it. The main strength parameter to increase (per weight unit) is the lateral stiffness and this is NOT a good idea because it reduces lateral flexibility and increase the chances of bending and breaking. A lot has been done in sword forging to achieve the exact opposite-more flexibility, like in katanas (very functional swords indeed). Air-pocketing and blood grooves do not make sense either if we consider physics and physiology. Suction (underpressure) does, in theory, because in battle situaton, a sword would have to be inserted and pulled out very quickly (much too fast for bleeding to develop). I beleive in empirical solutions, so this will remain a feeble theory untill experiments are conducted. Why fullers then?