Magnetic weapons

[Radu Transylvanicus]

Could the material content on the metal influence more than rather ,,induced magnetism,, ?

[derek]

Very cool thread, guys.
It got me to dig out my old Lensatic liquid filled and test some blades. Of all my collection, the one that showed the most interesting affect was an Omani Jambiya with an old blade. It pulled all the way south at the base and then swung all the way north at the tip. Most of my swords did very little in comparison. The surprise was an old and well-used Tibetan Khampa work knife that swings the needle completely north.

-d

[Mare Rosu]

Jens
I have good news and bad news on my dagger I call Mysore ( I think that is a name that depicted my feelings when I dropped the dagger, My Sore!, I wish no disrespect to the good folks in Mysore India as my southern humor is at play here )
I have replaced the Period stone in the handle and it really looks good, that is the good news.
The bad news is that the magnetic field has changed after the drop. While the same N,S,N,S, pattern with my compass is still the same, the overall attraction is a lot less now, I will try to set up a visual display of the effect tomorrow using the Iron powder (no Jens I did not polish the rust off the Iron powder and take some pictures for posting here.
I have something else to confuse, (at least it is confussing to me, that for sure), you good forum folks about all of this, is that the compass needle does not change directions the same way as I move the compass over the blade, one time the needle goes counterclockwise and then it goes clockwise as I move the compass over the blade as it reverses direction. I would think it would always move in the same direction, I will post more information, tomorrow to make this a little more understanable.
Anyway things are getting back to normal with the repair done.
But the mystery of the Mysore Dagger goes on!
Gene

















b

[fearn]

That's too bad about your dagger, Mare!

About that quadruple dipole configuration...my mom the electrical engineer (no joke!) had a suggestion:

She suggested that there's a real easy way to smuggle valuable knives. All you do is take a couple of magnets (two horseshoes or four bars) and use them to attach the knife to the underside of a car or truck. The border guard doesn't notice, customs aren't paid....or whatever.

I'm NOT claiming that your knife was purchased illegally! Far from it! Unless you have a complete provenance on it, though, it might be...difficult to figure out where and how it has travelled over the course of its existence.

Anyway, she was of the opinion that the magnetic field you demonstrated so nicely probably resulted by accident, from the knife being exposed to magnets for an extended period of time. The smuggling idea counts here--the magnets were essential, but the pattern is accidental. The alternative would be that someone deliberately magnetized it in that pattern, for reasons unknown.

Since you've dropped it once, I think that running a real test of this involving magnets and your own car would probably count as a Bad Idea. However, it's something to think about, and it'd make a nice party story, at least.

Cheers,

Fearn

[Jens Nordlunde]

Gene, it is very unfortunate that you dropped the pesh-kabz, but at the same time it is very fortunate that it did not piece your foot. Always look at the bright sides of life.
Do you have the impression that the hilt of your pesh-kabz is hollow?
The one shown below has a hollow grip, and the blade is magnetic, but only one time N-S.

Fearn, how much does your mother charge to take daggers and swords into another country, will the charge be pr border, and will there be a discount, if there are more than one border which have to be crossed?
I think you mothers suggestion sounds like a possibility we have to take into consideration.
How strong a magnet is a lodestone, and could the magnetism on Gene’s dagger have been obtained by polishing the blade with a lodestone?
Will an electric wire held along the blade improve the magnetism, so that the iron powder will be easier to work with?

[fearn]

Originally Posted by Jens Nordlunde

Fearn, how much does your mother charge to take daggers and swords into another country, will the charge be pr border, and will there be a discount, if there are more than one border which have to be crossed?
I think you mothers suggestion sounds like a possibility we have to take into consideration.

And she's such a sweet and innocent-looking lady, too. It's too bad that she doesn't live near any borders that we'd care about.

Personally, I'd secure the blade inside a body panel, simply to keep it clean.

Smuggling aside, I'd suggest that magnets would be a decent display (or whatever) mount for smaller blades, especially guardless ones. Obviously, it wouldn't work on something with a disk guard, like a katana or a dao, but for a slim-line blade, like this pesh-kabz or a dha, it might be a nice way to display it.

Mostly I'd suggest this as an explanation for cases where there are multiple dipoles across the blade. Others here have made some good suggestions about why a knife would have a single dipole, etc.

Fearn

[Mare Rosu]

JENS
Two pictures of the change in magnetic field on the Mysore dagger.
As you can tell the Iron powder is not showing the magnetic field as well as the first time we tested it. I had to use the side of the blade instead of the "T" back as I did in the first "test", to even get this amount to show.
The N, S, N, S change in the compass is still the same, and I cannot tell any change in that at all.
What is puzzling to me is that the needle on the compass does not turn in the same direction. It will go counterclockwise at first then go clockwise the next two times when going to the new poll positions.
The hilt is also solid and that is why it did not go point down and stab me in the leg
You are getting on to me for causing you to have sleepless nights, you should talk, with all the hard questions/information that you post, I have to stay up most of the my nights just to try and stay up with you

FEARN
Your mother's theory on how a blade can get magnetize is one that I would have never thought of. She has talents that are commendable. As the old saying (at least in the South it does) goes, Acorns do not fall to far from the tree.
So you must have the same inclinations/skills
Gene