Knife Sharpening and Sword Making

Am doing a bit of research for a short story I am pondering and it involves a blade smith. To completely inject myself into his world, I am trying to recall my own limited knowledge base of knife sharpening. However, said knowledge is restricted to what I can remember from cub scouts many many moons ago.

So, here's what I seem to remember that I've been able to shore up a bit from a few Youtube videos and google.

• The length of the tang is one of the key factors when evaluating a blade for it's quality of craftsmanship (along with the steel and sharpness naturally)
• Knives are best sharpened by holding at an angle approximating the cut of the blade itself and gradually wiped from hilt to tip across the whetstone.
• If there are severe nicks, burrs, or whatnot, a rougher stone should be used before moving to a finer grained stone (kind of like sand paper).
• Strokes should be done in even numbers on each side of the blade.
• After a pass or two, the blade should then be moved to a leather strop for polishing
• One should never encounter sparks. To see sparks coming off a blade in the midst of sharpening means that the person is taking off too much of the steel at once and causing more harm than good.

I know there's likely other points I am missing, so for those with background/experience, I'd love to learn more about the art of smithing a blade from beginning to end. (It also bears mentioning that I caught an episode of Forged in Fire on the History Channel a while back and was very intrigued, but never thought at the time to DVR it!

The YouTube videos I found on sword-making are (I think) really good starting points, but again, this is coming from my lack of experience and not knowing whether this is accurate or not:

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3IGLDYxqdI
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D10-LC0LCeU
Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wAYPEnXQiU
Part 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyu2H0DKiNA
Part 5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooCZEwBZG1M
Part 6: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaZAS8Y2IOo
Part 7: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYF9kDyW0Do
Part 8: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abgawrRVJ_c

My initial questions are:

How common was it in the olden days, days of yore, yesteryear, etc. (aka medieval times) for bladesmiths to engrave their blades
Did bladesmiths usually include a cartouche or other insignia indicating they were the maker (like guns of later times)?
What would be a common sword length that one would request be made for use in battles in medieval times? Would this differ from ones for personal protection or more regular use like knives?
Is there anything patently obvious to those with a background that I am missing?
Also, is it a bladesmith, a blade-smith, blade smith, or... blacksmith? LOL

Thanks JGN01 - any other thoughts on the content I've read/watched/shared thus far? Is it accurate? Missing anything obvious? Additional elements to consider? Engraving, marking, common sword and knife lengths for blacksmiths who custom make them?

Hmmm, interesting points Cameron, thanks. You've taken me down a dangerous wormhole, so to speak, and I seem to have come up with some answers thanks to the wonderful power of Google! For my own edification, and to share this information with others here who may be interested, here's what I've learned over the past several hours of research both last night and this morning (which means I am now officially late for work LOL)

In diving into individual variances, accounting as much as I can for timing, here's some assumptions (dangerous I know), that I am about to make:

- a typical archer's sword length for medieval* times would be around a yard (anywhere from 30-36") reference 1, reference 2
- a typical long sword length for medieval* times would be around 40-55" reference, reference 2
- a typical knife or dagger for medieval* times would be anywhere from 10-30" depending on the type reference 1, reference 2

Some other things I didn't initially take into account in the research for my story include:

1. Time to complete
- up to a week for a sword, depending on materials (steel, iron, precious metals, engravings, etc.)
- up to 4 days for a knife or dagger, again depending on the above

2. Social Standings
Depending on time and place, commoners may or may not have even been allowed to own swords as sword ownership was typically for noblemen reference 1

3. Requirements
Getting weapons made was often mandatory based on the land owner, nobleman, ruling party or laws of the land (blew me away actually):

In England the Statute of Winchester laid down the arms & armour to be owned by every man according to his wealth

AND Further, It is commanded, That every Man have in his house Harness for to keep the Peace after the ancient Assise; that is to say, Every Man between fifteen years of age, and sixty years, shall be assessed and sworn to Armor according to the quantity of their Lands and Goods ;
From Fifteen Pounds Lands, and Goods Forty Marks, an Hauberke, capel de fer, a Sword, a Knife, and an Horse
From Ten Pounds of Lands, and Twenty Marks Goods, an Hauberke, a Capel, a Sword, and a Knife ;'
From Five Pound Lands , a Gambison, a Capel de Fer, a Sword, and a Knife
From Forty Shillings Land and more, unto One hundred Shillings of Land, a Sword, a Bow and Arrows, and a Knife
And he that hath less than Forty Shillings yearly, shall be sworn to keep Gis-armes; Knives, and other less Weapons
And he that hath less than Twenty Marks in Goods, shall have Swords, Knives, and other less Weapons ;
And all other that may, shall have Bows and Arrows out of the Forest, and in the Forest Bows and Boults

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https://myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=17682

Not only did laws require ownership of weapons, but pricing was also set...

4. Measurement Terminology
To use inches or yards in vernacular would be woefully inaccurate based on when the short story takes place and where...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_weights_and_measures

5. Other Weapons and Needs
Apparently blacksmiths would be making more than just weapons like swords, knives, etc. (doh)
Axes, spears, polearms, maces, cudgels, pikes, and a litany of armor needs
https://www.swordsknivesanddaggers.com/medieval-weapons-glossary.html
http://www.medievalwarfare.info/weapons.htm

I'm willing to bet this was a year round job, and you were constantly making a variety of things based in priority of the requester, the timing (was there an active war or battle being waged, or relative peacetime and standing armies being built)

*6. Medieval Period is Too Generic A Term
The general consensus is that the Middle Ages (aka the Medieval period) lasted from the fall of the Western Roman Empire and blended into the Renaissance, so roughly from the 5th to around either the 13th, 14th or 15th Century. Within this long era of roughly 800-1000 years, there were sub-eras, Early, High, and Late, so depending on when the blacksmith lived, weaponry needs would have been quite varied as well.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Ages
https://www.history.com/topics/middle-ages
https://www.britannica.com/event/Middle-Ages

*****

The benefit now of having done this extended research is that my short story idea might have become a bit longer, will be more historically informed and accurate, and thus, more entertaining for the reader! Who would've thought that research on a supposedly short story idea would encompass nearly 8 hours of research?! LOL

Any corrections, additions, modifications, or comments to the above is welcome, as always!

Ketzel said:

I highly recommend that you check out a few episodes of Forged In Fire, on the History Channel. If you have specific blade in mind, there's a good chance you'll see an episode where experienced bladesmiths compete to re-create it.

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Thanks

Norman Mjadwesch said:

Have you tried contacting Kult of Athena? They sell lots of replica stuff including weapons and may be able to put you directly into contact with someone who specialises in swords? http://www.kultofathena.com

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Not trying to buy, more just research on the processes

AwP_writer said:

One fact that it looks like you might be missing is that unlike most modern bladesmiths, medieval bladesmiths didn't do everything themselves. They'd forge the blade, do the rough grinding/clean up, then pass it along to a "cutler" who made the hilt, and they passed it to a scabbard maker, and so on.

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Good tip tks

As an update, and fwiw - I am really taking to the Nth degree - taking a black smithing class later this month (April)...

Heh, it's only $100, and since I'm not really writing as a profession (yet), doubt it'd be an option...

But I like the line of thinking!

Nay, I scoffeth not at regaining the coinage that Big Brother so easily taketh away from me in perpetuity.

I scoffeth more at the thought of me ever being a professional​ writer!

Nay ser, for to forsake the forums that enlighten mine eyes and thoughts would be to capitulate to typing words on digital parchment. Sayeth not thus must be forsworn to produce results of that unreachable beech. Shouldst thou not lead that endeavor into the void?

(Why are we suddenly speaking as if we were in 17th century England by the way? Not that it's a bad thing, but I do have to thinketh more )

Until the class I’m binge-watching Forged in Fire...man this show is addictive! LOL