Posts: 740 Location: Netherlands
Sat 04 Aug, 2007 12:33 pm
Saxes are particularly difficult to do historically correct, in particular if you haven't studied many of them in great detail. So if you don't copy one in every detail, it's generally going to be far off compared to the originals. Compared to saxes in general, the tang is very different, and as Ville noted,
seaxes generally have triangular
cross-sections, without and secundary bevels. Some have cross-sections, which start flat and curving down towards the edge, but these are broadsaxes. These have very thick (9-10mm) broad and relatively short, heavy blades. In terms of the tangs, these were generally quite long, and glued into a long wooden haft (frequently 18-20cm at least, judging from the remaining lengths), in particular with broadsaxes and longsaxes. Some saxes have metal hilt components (pommels, bolsters). These are generally narrowsaxes, which are earlier then the broadsaxes and langsaxes. These saxes with metal pommels etc. generally had decoration chisels in the blades, in the form of braids, snakes etc.