Vibration of swords

My Hanwei practical Norman sword vibrates when slapped on the pommel, or on the blade, is that normal? Im quite new, infect this is my first sword so I'm a bit of noob.

Comments for Vibration of swords

Click here to add your own comments

Yup
by: Paul

Medieval swords are actually kind of flexible (or at least, should be) and this vibration is perfectly normal.

If you slap the blade on the flat you will note an area that vibrates less - this is, as Michael Tinker Pearce would call it, a vibrational node - and is the center of percussion, the so called 'sweet spot' which will deliver the most solid strike/cut.

So short answer, yes - it is quite normal - a medieval sword SHOULD vibrate when struck.

Hope this helps.

- Paul

A little history—since you’re new at this
by: Adam Pendragon

Since you’re new to swords, I thought you might like a brief history lesson in Medieval swords VS new ones. Medieval (antique) swords do have a certain amount of flex to them; however, not as much as new swords. Back in my day—1970s—very few swords were made for actual use. They were either decorative, which would bend easily and stay bent (too soft) or they were staged combat swords, and were very heavy and ridged. We were all screaming for more real, and safe, swords. Windless Steelcraft answered our prayers—accidentally. They bought a new electric tempering oven and were playing around with it and, behold, created a highly flexible sword. We loved this because other than Del Tin swords (which were about twice the cost) we only had soft bendable blades or those which were too brittle, like stainless steel. They bragged about their highly flexible swords, but we found that they were too flexible—and still are. By the ‘90s many new sword enthusiasts were discovering this too, but still most manufacturers of real swords are making them too flexible. Real Medieval swords were not as flexible as swords today, but then they weren’t made for cutting up water bottles or beating on rubber tires. They were much harder and tougher than swords today—because they were made from bog iron, which has silicon in it—and, usually, thinner and more ridged. But they were flexible—if you put the point to the ground and put your weight into it. So, it’s come down to a compromise: A sword today can be made less "Whippie" but still very strong and unlikely to break, but it would have to be made from bog iron (I have two made in Solingen, Germany) which would be extremely expensive, and not many today know how to work it (if he could even get it); or, it can be made of modern steel, which makes it highly usable but a little too flexible.
Anyway, there’s a very brief history. I know it’s not terribly important to know this, but it doesn’t hurt for someone to know what he has in his hand.

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Ask Questions.