| Lee Jones and Scott M. Rodell
The next speaker began at the end of the process.
Lee Jones tackled the subject of steel blade patterns.
He is well qualified to speak, as he has contributed
to the book Swords
of the Viking Age, as well as authored a website
on Viking swords (www.vikingsword.com).
It is interesting that this was the first real lecture,
but it did not discuss ore. The apparently random mixture
of lectures and demonstrations actually allowed for
a refreshing change of gears between presentations.
Lee Jones noted that modern swords do not usually have
any pattern. If they do, after the great increase in
the understanding of metallurgy in recent decades, it
is likely decorative. The same was not necessarily true
of ancient or ethnographic swords. There are several
kinds of patterns that may appear on hand forged blades,
including natural grain such as slag inclusions, as
well as layering and folding. The latter can be mechanical
or aesthetic in nature.
Two metals (iron and steel for example) can be mixed
together in very different ways, and depending upon
how they are folded, a different pattern can emerge
after polishing and etching. A good example is the so-called
Damascus steel, also known as wootz, but called crucible
steel by many metallurgists and smiths. In some cases
a smith would have no intention of allowing the structure
to be seen, and it is only later that the method of
manufacture can be determined.
This lecture was excellently illustrated with slides
and actual examples of ethnographic swords from regions
outside Europe. As the speaker made clear, his focus
was to elucidate European swords. The next lecture was
a shift from the former presentation, and considered
Chinese Swords. Scott
M. Rodell noted how the Chinese sword was similar
to and different from European examples. As the author
of a well known book on the subject: Chinese
Swordsmanship: The Yang Family Taiji Jian Tradition
(see also website http://www.grtc.org)
and a dealer in antique weapons, he was very well qualified
to speak. He had many old swords to display as well.
He did not discuss how the swords were made, but rather
how they were used. He suggested - if it is not already
clear - that films are not the place to obtain knowledge.
Indeed it can be surprising how naive intelligent people
can be about this subject. Stressing the use of different
swords for different occasions, he noted that long sabers
could have been used on a battle field, but that in
an urban environment they were impractical. Narrow streets
and alleys are not the place for long swords and sweeping
cuts. This explains the use of short and heavy swords
carried by civilians. As a rule the gentry did not carry
sabers, and relied instead on long swords. It is also
clear that as the use of armor declined in recent centuries
swords became lighter and there was more wrist action
in the blade play.
There is no living military tradition of using swords
in China, so no one can suggest how effective the techniques
were in a real battle. In an interesting contrast to
Europe, China’s sword tradition is based on forms that
have been handed down for several generations. While
there may have been Chinese manuals in the past, they
do not survive. The literary fragments that remain are
nearly impossible to interpret. Perhaps Chinese fencing
masters wished to preserve the mystique of the art.
The reverse is true of the European martial arts traditions.
They are all basically preserved in books. Forms may
have played only a minor role in Europe, and none have
been preserved, as rapid advances in military technology
left them to wither. However, for both Chinese and European
swordsmanship, it may be just as difficult to reconstruct
the real fighting arts of both traditions. It can be
confidently said that the sword traditions of Europe
and Asia are now gaining in popularity, and that the
future is bright. This lecture was a fitting end to
the first day.
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