I am in the same boat. I am making my first sword and can find very little about the process. I keep reading about areas of balance and different points of taper and am lost. The process of making a sword seems very different than that of making a knife.

I don't know if this will help you with the rapiers (I don't make them) but I wrote this paper on good sword design. http://www.dragonsbreathforge.com/goodbadsword.html also check out some of the papers by Peter Johnson he has some fascinating thoughts on medieval sword design. As far as traditional sizes ...the books of Ewart Oakshott,, auction catalogues can be helpful and lastly museums and collectors(European museum seem to be better about allowing access to the originals)if you can get in.

MP

What I have found is one needs to either get measurements from authentic pieces in collections and ideally handle them. Experience with them or knowing someone helps. That's what I've been trying with dao, jian, and heavy sabre* as the martial arts I studied as a young man used them. There are some books, but they are not always in english, tend to be expensive, and often buried in the specialty or private publishers that deal with esocetic literature. Some of them, like the ones on Chinese swords can be only good for getting the furniture right. Others like "Cieca Pradwdziwa Szabla" have very precisely measured drawing with blade cross section, thickness, etc. However, they are not easy to get and it's work.

Besides Oakshott, there are some other overview books like Stone's that give a survey. Like with Bowie Knives, there tends to be more than you would think once you find the right lead reference. Not being into Bowie knives before joining the ABS, I was surprised at how much there is on one type of knife. A couple of things if I can be academic (or be an jerk depending on your veiw) that I've learned from years of being a researcher. They have been adapted a bit for here:

1) The origin of the paper is important. Something from a university or a museum or a known expert like Mr. Cashen* or others is a lot more trustworthy than from Bob on the "SwordsRKool" forum, even if he puts it into a book. With academics, their background and publication history is important. However see 2.

2)Double check as much as possible. Anyone can be wrong, even in their area of expertise. And when you get outside it, well, then they aren't an expert anymore. And btw, PhD means you met the minimum requirements to play. Doesn't mean you are any good.

3) Don't trust any of the modern stuff from recreationist groups without any supporting information. I've seen translation that make native speakers cry, things twisted to fit a particular viewpoint, etc. Some of the modern stuff is good and some is basically a drug dream. It should have references to particular pieces or historic academic work. Something that measures everything in a collection is probably better than a book on "how to fight with the great sword."

4) Footnotes are a good thing: a technical work without them is suspect. However, if they all lead back to websites and knife companies like one book I read on the blade in combat isn't, well, I use that now to level a table. Ideally the footnotes are traceable and you can get back to the original document.

5) Some times an email or letter is all you need: "Sir, I read this article and it references your work. Can I get more information on or a reprint of on" I write people at times and ask. I got some really cool information on lead free chern by writing to some gentleman in Italy and asking for a reprint of his paper and I don't work in that field...

6) Inter-library loans is a lovely thing. Some of the really cool stuff isn't digitized yet.

7) People translate for money and if not doing it as pros, for food. I buy dinner for people who will help me translate the good stuff. So don't be content to just look at pictures of something in some other language. We often don't need all of the paper anyway...

My apologizes if you know this. I used to hand this to my new graduate students in a more detailed format. My impressions is there is a ton of bad information out there: not surprising - I had someone in the pharmaceutical industry tell me over half of the stuff published in the very top journal could not be repeated in an industrial lab...

I've been lucky in knowing people thru my job who have contacts at museums. The ones in Leeds at the Royal Armory and in Paris at the Musee D'Armees are both amazing. I do find it easier to get in the smaller places. It is amazing what a polite letter will do especially if you have a reason other than "can I touch the swords" Sometimes just interest will do. I got to handle a lovely jian one trip because the guy watching the room wanted to know why was taking hundred of shots of it. I got history, weights, etc and an introduction to someone on the staff. Nect trip, they let me handle it (with gloves. I nearly wet myself with excitement.)

Of course, you can always collect samples yourself. With the exception of jian**, you would be surprised what is on the market. Jian are very hard to find, except for an occasional temple sword. Civil War stuff and 1800s stuff is pretty common, medieval isn't. I've seen some main gauche for sale I'd need a second mortgage on.

Hope that helps,

Kevin

* and others. I picked him because I've had the pleasure of meeting him.

** Maybe other like Japanese too - I just don't know. Russian swords are also hard and $$$

most of the really interesting papers on swords end up printed in the park lane arms fair catalogue, re prints are available from the organizer.

MP

Very good leads there Kevin and Matthew. I will say that George Stone's arms and armour book is a standard reference and very good. I think every library should have it. Re prints are available through Amazon. Seeing the real thing in person is the best way.

Brion

I'm working on designs for my first sword as well. One of my instructors is lending me a book, The Master Bladesmith: Advanced Studies in Steel, by Jim Hrisoulas. It has a section on broadsword design and talks about forging techniques like fullering and forming a central ridge. I don't know of any books specifically on rapiers though.

~Joshua S.

Besides Oakshott, there are some other overview books like Stone's that give a survey. Like with Bowie Knives, there tends to be more than you would think once you find the right lead reference. Not being into Bowie knives before joining the ABS, I was surprised at how much there is on one type of knife. A couple of things if I can be academic (or be an jerk depending on your veiw) that I've learned from years of being a researcher.

Thank you for all the great advice & Info. Regarding Oakshott, he seems to be a very prolific writer. I found several books of his on Amazon (as well as Stone's Glossary)and I was wondering which books by Oakshott you would specifically recommend.

Thanks.

|quoted:

Besides Oakshott, there are some other overview books like Stone's that give a survey. Like with Bowie Knives, there tends to be more than you would think once you find the right lead reference. Not being into Bowie knives before joining the ABS, I was surprised at how much there is on one type of knife. A couple of things if I can be academic (or be an jerk depending on your veiw) that I've learned from years of being a researcher.

Thank you for all the great advice & Info. Regarding Oakshott, he seems to be a very prolific writer. I found several books of his on Amazon (as well as Stone's Glossary)and I was wondering which books by Oakshott you would specifically recommend.

Thanks.

I haven't read Oakshott's books, but I know there is information about them on myarmoury.com in the "features" section. I believe "Records of the Medieval Sword" is the book in which he expounds his typology of medieval swords. That won't help you much with rapiers though. I am interested in rapiers and later fencing blades as well, but have yet to find any books on their design. I would suggest looking for images of historical swords from museum websites and such, and if possible try to find a sword of that type to get your hands on. Last time I visited Smoky Mountain Knife Works in TN they had a 17th century epee in the upstairs museum. Hope that helps, and please share if you find anything of interest.

I like "records or the medieval sword" and "the sword in the age chivalry", earlier styles I like "the sword in Anglo-Saxon England" by Davidson and "swords of the Viking age" by Ian Peirce