Use of Threaded Screws in Sword Hilt Construction

Jim McDougall · 28th November 2008, 06:26 PM

Wow, David, this is a bit more complicated than I thought...and I failed machine shop 101....so basically my target was the screws holding the arms of guard to pommel..I presume a threaded screw into a drilled hole.

Mostly I can just see the illustrations in books, so I cant really examine the components, just see the screws externally.

Great information on the earlier presence of the screw in the Mediterranean out of wood, I imagine the principle was used early in many engineering functions.

I agree that pointed screws sticking through armour would be a problem, reminds me of being in the attic with roofing nails sticking through the roof! ouch!

All the best,
Jim

Jim McDougall · 28th November 2008, 09:29 PM

Looking further, I found more on the early presence of the screw, especially in principle as David has noted. From "The Ancient Engineers" (L. Sprague de Camp, N.Y. 1960, p.240):
"...in Roman times a better press appeared, the screw press, with a capstan for turning the screw. The screw had been invented some time in 3rd or 4th century BC but screws were never very common in antiquity. There were no screw cutting machines except for a simple device, described by the engineer Heron of Alexandria 1st c. AD for cutting female screw threads.Therefore all screw threads or at least all male screw heads, had to be laboriously cut and filed by hand".

28th November 2008, 06:26 PM	#1
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,559	Wow, David, this is a bit more complicated than I thought...and I failed machine shop 101....so basically my target was the screws holding the arms of guard to pommel..I presume a threaded screw into a drilled hole. Mostly I can just see the illustrations in books, so I cant really examine the components, just see the screws externally. Great information on the earlier presence of the screw in the Mediterranean out of wood, I imagine the principle was used early in many engineering functions. I agree that pointed screws sticking through armour would be a problem, reminds me of being in the attic with roofing nails sticking through the roof! ouch! All the best, Jim

28th November 2008, 09:29 PM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,559	Looking further, I found more on the early presence of the screw, especially in principle as David has noted. From "The Ancient Engineers" (L. Sprague de Camp, N.Y. 1960, p.240): "...in Roman times a better press appeared, the screw press, with a capstan for turning the screw. The screw had been invented some time in 3rd or 4th century BC but screws were never very common in antiquity. There were no screw cutting machines except for a simple device, described by the engineer Heron of Alexandria 1st c. AD for cutting female screw threads.Therefore all screw threads or at least all male screw heads, had to be laboriously cut and filed by hand".