Page 59 - History of War - Issue 25-16
P. 59
FORGING THE ULTIMATE BLADE
n the
n customised
ravings THE LOST
BAMBURGH
BLADE
WAS THIS WEAPON THE PINNACLE OF SWORD DESIGN?
SABRE The Bamburgh Sword, forged in the In a time when modern science was
7th century, excavated in 1960 and
hundreds of years in the future, the
The sabre – as most often thought – rediscovered in 2001, is possibly creation of a perfect blade was a
was a curved, single-edged blade used the inest blade ever made, being process of magic and ritual.
by cavalrymen, in particular during the created using six strands of pattern- The very best Early Medieval
Napoleonic Wars, when it was wielded to welded iron. An extraordinary blades had wootz steel (crucible
sometimes devastating effect on routing weapon like this was the work of steel imported from India) alloyed
infantry formations. But in fact, Napoleonic- more than one man and was likely into the pattern welding. This raised
era sabres were just as often straight forged for a royal owner. the quality of the blades hugely.
blades, used for thrusting attacks by The blade, the hilt and the The Bamburgh hilt was made of
charging cavalry. The sabre remains part scabbard were made by different precious metal and stones. Garnets
of the dress uniform of many military units, people, each a master of his craft. were a favourite; each one was hand
while modern sport sabre fencing is alone in The technology that went into shaped by cutting and laboriously
counting slashing strokes as hits, although creating a pattern-welded sword is polished with a mix of fat and
the sword itself is straight, not curved. extremely complicated and takes crushed stone loaded onto a leather
a lifetime to perfect. The men pad. The gold work would have
“THE SABRE REMAINS PART OF THE who had this skill were venerated been extraordinary and the level of
minute detail must have required
and rewarded richly. However, the
DRESS UNIFORM OF MANY MILITARY UNITS” technology was jealously guarded, an immense amount of time and
so bladesmiths were not free to
patience. How this was done without
leave the king who employed them. magniication is a mystery still.
Below: This close-up of pattern-welded steel (also known as Damascus steel) reveals
the pattern created on the blade during the forging process
“MODERN
SPORT FENCING
STYLES HAVE
DEVELOPED
FROM RAPIER Left: Rapiers usually
featured a complex
hilt designed to
gh Castle, where the Bamburgh
DUELLING” protect the hand was discovered in 1960 by
wielding it
ologist Brian Hope-Taylor
59
