Question about integral bolsters

Emanuel · 27th August 2013, 07:26 PM

Thanks guys!

Yes on the Kerala knives, but a fair distance from Anatolia.

Timo the tukou and habaki are not integral. In the case of nihonto the habaki isn't even structural, it serves as an interface with the scabbard to protect the surface of the blade, not to reinforce the blade. And again, how and when did the integral bolster enter Anatolian bladesmithing when it is absent from neighbouring cultures?

Any reference I could check for the medieval knives? I haven't seen anything with an integral bolster.

And, to clarify, I am looking for one-piece bolster construction in ferrous bladesmithing, not bronze casting.

Cheers!
Emanuel

Timo Nieminen · 27th August 2013, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emanuel

Timo the tukou and habaki are not integral. In the case of nihonto the habaki isn't even structural, it serves as an interface with the scabbard to protect the surface of the blade, not to reinforce the blade.

See Iaroslav Lebedynsky, De l'épée Scythe au sabre Mongol, Errance, Paris, 2008, pg 168 C(e), for a knife or sword with a possible integral collar, and pg 175 v, for a sword. I wouldn't call these bolsters, since they have a guard butted up against them, and are part of the blade, rather than the hilt. I can't tell from the drawings whether these are integral or not.

(There is at least one rivetted-on tunkou in that book; there is some diversity in how these are done.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emanuel

Any reference I could check for the medieval knives? I haven't seen anything with an integral bolster.

Will look.

Emanuel · 27th August 2013, 11:32 PM

Thanks Timo!

Timo Nieminen · 28th August 2013, 03:50 AM

Some candidates for late Medieval knives with integral bolsters:
http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/86821
http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/86819
http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/86817
http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/86808

According to Paul Binns, integral bolsters appear in early Tudor. An iron tang is welded on to a steel blade on these, and the bolster is formed from the join: http://www.paul-binns-swords.co.uk/knives.html

Timo Nieminen · 28th August 2013, 05:00 AM

See JUM#13, JUM#14, JUM#16, JUM#17, JUM#18 in http://www.ucl.ac.uk/iams/newsletter...2005_feuerbach for some examples of Central Asian knives that appear to have integral bolsters.

27th August 2013, 07:26 PM	#1
Emanuel Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,242	Thanks guys! Yes on the Kerala knives, but a fair distance from Anatolia. Timo the tukou and habaki are not integral. In the case of nihonto the habaki isn't even structural, it serves as an interface with the scabbard to protect the surface of the blade, not to reinforce the blade. And again, how and when did the integral bolster enter Anatolian bladesmithing when it is absent from neighbouring cultures? Any reference I could check for the medieval knives? I haven't seen anything with an integral bolster. And, to clarify, I am looking for one-piece bolster construction in ferrous bladesmithing, not bronze casting. Cheers! Emanuel Last edited by Emanuel; 27th August 2013 at 07:43 PM.

27th August 2013, 11:32 PM	#3
Emanuel Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,242	Thanks Timo!

28th August 2013, 03:50 AM	#4
Timo Nieminen Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 422	Some candidates for late Medieval knives with integral bolsters: http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/86821 http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/86819 http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/86817 http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/86808 According to Paul Binns, integral bolsters appear in early Tudor. An iron tang is welded on to a steel blade on these, and the bolster is formed from the join: http://www.paul-binns-swords.co.uk/knives.html

28th August 2013, 05:00 AM	#5
Timo Nieminen Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 422	See JUM#13, JUM#14, JUM#16, JUM#17, JUM#18 in http://www.ucl.ac.uk/iams/newsletter...2005_feuerbach for some examples of Central Asian knives that appear to have integral bolsters.