traditional tools for blade making

[ausjulius]

Originally Posted by Iain

Thanks, I'm well aware of the process.
The images depicting swords with hilts can of course be simply interpretation and don't necessarily reflect in anyway tempered blades being ground (i.e. grinding the profile, not sharpening). As noted in my post the second series of tools in the images I posted are not analogous to stone grinding wheels, but used defining the profile and polishing, again artistic license can be shown with respect to hilts and as you noted makes it hard to ascertain the exact part of the process depicted.

Perhaps you misunderstood my post which was simply to add some interesting and relevant illustration, I understand the distinction in the tools you are making.

In any case, don't let me distract from the thread by going further into medieval forging and grinding techniques. But since you obviously have an interest in blade production you might enjoy some other threads on the European section, I think I started one a while ago regarding trip hammers and other water powered medieval forges.

no problem. i just wanted to make clear the images are confusing as they dont really show what is actually being used, they are infact sharpening and polishing the blades with mounted stones and leather and wooden bits in what would normally be a metal plane handle. .

the cutting tools for planing are only ever used with a steel edge on soft blades.. they were always used with a grinding wheel but not a wheel alone by its self .
in the modern era wevhave belt sanders, mills ect and such machines to make a flat surface but in the past the only way to make it truly flat is with a plane.

the images are probably more likely .. lazy artist skipping on detail or people of the time just knew what the process as and understood the image.

there is a good german 16th century set of images on the internet floating round showing the polishing planes being used and there it can be more clearly seen that are not metal planes but tools of wood or leather bit in them.

the water wheel can not make smooth flat surfaces not matter how hard you try


the reason for posting an image of this tool is that i have never seen one discussed on the internet.... and outside of medieval images from europe i have never seen them depicted... and yet in tibet or isolated parts of the sudan i could just buy one for 10 or 15 $,

i own several of these.

i wounder when was the last time these were used in europe.. and where are the images of their use??
i just find it odd such a useful and cheap tool vanished so long ago..