Use of Threaded Screws in Sword Hilt Construction

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, 09:29 PM	#1
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,194	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".