Waved blades debate - combat value

Radu Transylvanicus · 2nd February 2006, 07:12 PM

Welcome, welcome ...

The arguments not the accusations, please... Point the theory not the finger, dear ol' chap

I opened the discussion, remember?
Its true, I cannot expect anyone to sacrifice his old weapon or worse

God forbid his limbs, (any volunteers?

) I dont think much ground has been covered on testing such blades. And I doubt battle accounts in the matter are written on paper...
One thing for sure, a waved blade must be a lot harder to sharpen evenly...

nechesh · 2nd February 2006, 11:19 PM

Sorry Radu, i wasn't trying to do any finger pointing. Of course i remember that you opened the thread. That's why i was wondering why you were trying to close it out so quickly. Generally that's what i assume when someone says,"...it's a closed chapter."
You are probably right, it might be a lot harder to sharpen a wavy blade evenly. But somehow the Moro know the trick because my wavy example is sharp as a razor all along it's length.

Perhaps testing could be done on materials that approximate the texture and hardness of flesh. Anyone have any ideas?

manicdj · 11th February 2006, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radu Transylvanicus

Welcome, welcome ...

The arguments not the accusations, please... Point the theory not the finger, dear ol' chap

I opened the discussion, remember?
Its true, I cannot expect anyone to sacrifice his old weapon or worse

God forbid his limbs, (any volunteers?

) I dont think much ground has been covered on testing such blades. And I doubt battle accounts in the matter are written on paper...
One thing for sure, a waved blade must be a lot harder to sharpen evenly...

This changes averything I thought about cutting and ripping

Think of that kind of damage

M ELEY · 12th February 2006, 05:18 AM

One could always test some of the theories out on a helpless cassaba melon or two! I remember that Alfred Hitchcock used cassaba melons being stabbed to simulate the sound of a perforating knife in the original Psycho movie. In my opinion, there's no question of the damage a Moro kriss, wavy or straight, could do to a man (case in point, American GI's during the Spanish American war). As far as serrated weapons go, I remember a discussion from a number of years back concerning Kingsmill Island swords (tebutji?) with the shark teeth and quite a few varying opinions. For my part, I have taken a saw and wacked off a smaller tree limb and the saw bit pretty deep into the bark as well (probably as deep as many swords I've welded). That being said, i could see where a curved blade would be totally impractical on horseback as it might bite deep and not pull free. Does anyone feel that a wavy bladed sword might have a tendency to stick in a chest cavity more than a straight blade? Just curious...

2nd February 2006, 07:12 PM	#1
Radu Transylvanicus Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: 2008-2010 Bali, 1998-2008 USA Posts: 271	Welcome, welcome ... The arguments not the accusations, please... Point the theory not the finger, dear ol' chap I opened the discussion, remember? Its true, I cannot expect anyone to sacrifice his old weapon or worse God forbid his limbs, (any volunteers? ) I dont think much ground has been covered on testing such blades. And I doubt battle accounts in the matter are written on paper... One thing for sure, a waved blade must be a lot harder to sharpen evenly...

2nd February 2006, 11:19 PM	#2
nechesh Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 940	Sorry Radu, i wasn't trying to do any finger pointing. Of course i remember that you opened the thread. That's why i was wondering why you were trying to close it out so quickly. Generally that's what i assume when someone says,"...it's a closed chapter." You are probably right, it might be a lot harder to sharpen a wavy blade evenly. But somehow the Moro know the trick because my wavy example is sharp as a razor all along it's length. Perhaps testing could be done on materials that approximate the texture and hardness of flesh. Anyone have any ideas?

12th February 2006, 05:18 AM	#4
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,184	One could always test some of the theories out on a helpless cassaba melon or two! I remember that Alfred Hitchcock used cassaba melons being stabbed to simulate the sound of a perforating knife in the original Psycho movie. In my opinion, there's no question of the damage a Moro kriss, wavy or straight, could do to a man (case in point, American GI's during the Spanish American war). As far as serrated weapons go, I remember a discussion from a number of years back concerning Kingsmill Island swords (tebutji?) with the shark teeth and quite a few varying opinions. For my part, I have taken a saw and wacked off a smaller tree limb and the saw bit pretty deep into the bark as well (probably as deep as many swords I've welded). That being said, i could see where a curved blade would be totally impractical on horseback as it might bite deep and not pull free. Does anyone feel that a wavy bladed sword might have a tendency to stick in a chest cavity more than a straight blade? Just curious...