Hi Marius - I'd like to comment briefly on the tangential discussion regarding stiff versus flexible blades. I think I have to respectfully disagree with you.
Whether the blade is stiff or flexible you will still cut with the edge. If the blow is blocked then the contact presumably will be made with the edge. I'm not an engineer so don't have the terminology to describe this well I'm afraid, but the energy of the impact will be transmitted edge-to-edge through the blade - not flat to flat.
No matter how flexible a blade is, it is completely rigid in the edge-to-edge plane. So logically there should be little difference in the energy of the impact and its transmission into the attacker's arm, other than that caused by the blade being lighter.
Indeed, if the flexible blade had the effect you describe it would actually minimise the percussive power of the blow reducing its effect as a weapon.
If you were describing an angled deflection strike rather than a completely perpendicular one I could see some of what you're describing - but then you'd be minimising the effectiveness of the blow it seems to me as the blade would want to flex away from the target greatly reducing the power of the impact. Would that logically be a choice one would make?
Bear in mind also that the fixed grip on the forearm would dictate a different positional use of the body in creating the strikes - so the impact of a blocked blow would be absorbed in the body slightly differently, and I would suggest, more efficiently - less likely to create the potential damage you describe.
Having worked with flexible blades a couple of times I can tell you that the energetic rebound through the weapon is as strong as a stiff blade but transmits with what I can only describe as an odd 'wobble' effect which can momentarily adjust your balance more strongly than the impact of a stiff blade. Primarily because of the randomness of the effect, so it can't be completely planned for.
Another thought regarding flexibility - in my experience, very often the longer the blade the more flexible it appears (or perhaps is) as its own weight causes it to bend. Outside my field of knowledge, but perhaps there's a correlation between flexibility-length-poorer quality steel? Which might be pertinent to the local v. imported blade debate perhaps?
In all of this I am of course talking about period weaponry, not the modern items produced for demonstration/performance.
Hi Jim - maybe one might draw parallels in the sweeping slashing actions to the Germanic doppelhander fighting styles?
Happy to have any of my assertions proved wrong or point out if I've misunderstood anything - just my tuppence...
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