Swordsmiths

Though most people who work with and forge metals are called Blacksmiths, the smith who fashions swords is more of an artist. The Blacksmith will take a raw metal and heat and hammer it to a certain shape, capable of performing whatever task is at hand—shoeing a horse, for example. The Swordsmith, conversely, must mold and shape a perfect object, forging metal into something flexible, durable and often deadly sharp. Throughout time, only the best Swordsmiths figured out how to deftly apply their skill. They made a sword that could save someone’s life but also take another; often their own life rested on their ability to keep warriors safe. Swordsmithing throughout the ages has had some things remain the same while improvements to the sword have take place by trial and error.

Swords have changed a lot over time, and this is primarily due to the exchange between sword maker and sword user—the Swordsmith and the Swordsman. These two people together made suggestions back and forth in order to better the equipment. Way back before metal working became a science—the knowledge that certain exact mixtures could create alloys that were stronger and better—all the Swordsmith could do was try to create a product based on trail and error. He could, for example, heat metal to this temperature, hammer it at that temperature and cool it to these temperatures to get a certain outcome. With hours of this kind of trial and error, some Swordsmiths became famous for their creations. In order to meet certain demands, the Smith would have to share their knowledge with other Smiths and the trail and error methodology would begin anew.

In the Medieval and Renaissance Ages, Swordsmithing was still considered an art form, no matter how the sword was made. The art was the inherent deadly beauty of such a creation. Over time, Swordsmithing got away from the stiff and hard blade to a blade that was both hard and flexible. A hard sword that is cut in two mid-battle is worthless compared to a flexible, slightly bent sword still capable of killing. More often than not, a swordsman would prefer to have a softer blade with more flexibility to a harder blade that was simply stronger. The flexible blade actually gives the swordsman a fighting chance, whereas the broken blade leaves him open to death.

After the Medieval Ages, flexibility and hardness were still important, but so was the math behind the sword’s construction. So, with the Swordsmith’s art in hand, he had to create a sword that was geometrically sound and strong at the same time. The geometry behind the sword gave it better balance; with better balance comes enhanced movement and faster reactions. A swordsman could do more than thrust; he could spin, deflect and block faster and more accurately than ever before. The metal, tempering, flexibility, geometry and balance of the sword all became part of the Swordsmith’s trade. He had a lot to master and sometimes not a lot of time to do so.

Though a Swordsmith way back then didn’t understand the exact science of the metals they were using, they did catch on quickly to what worked and what didn’t. In Europe, Swordsmiths were starting to combine metals, melting them together and forming “rods” of twisting metal to give the blades more strength and combined flexibility. The bendability of the sword is important, but so are its strength and ability to return true to form. Modern Swordsmiths are able to mix and match certain qualities to create a sword that is as competition worthy as it is nice to look at. Unlike any other profession, the Swordsmith’s art is that of timeless learning and craftsmanship through the ages. Swordsmithing has changed ever so much but has eternally been an art through the ages where protection of the fellow man meant creating something revolutionary and lethal. A sword throughout time has always remained deathly beautiful to the artist and the operator, for it took both to create a masterpiece.