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George Hill




Location: Atlanta Ga
Joined: 16 May 2005

Posts: 614

PostPosted: Mon 30 Mar, 2009 8:46 pm    Post subject: Ricasso questions         Reply with quote

Alright, does the term "Ricasso" only refer to an unsharpened section or does it refer to the first two inches or so of any swordblade whatsoever?

This is one of my "Questioning my preconceptions' questions.

I've heard words like these:

"....and features an unsharpened ricasso..."

so often, that the implication has been 'some ricasso were sharp." Therefore Ricasso became (to me) an 'area' of blade rather then an unsharpened specific addition.

So, I was trying to find out the German word for Ricasso, so I could say "You press your thumb against the Ricasso when you krumphau..." without borrowing from the Italians for the term, when I came across this question.

BTW, what IS the German for Ricasso?

To abandon your shield is the basest of crimes. - --Tacitus on Germania
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Arne Focke
Industry Professional



Location: near Munich, Germany
Joined: 13 Mar 2006
Reading list: 34 books

Posts: 204

PostPosted: Tue 31 Mar, 2009 12:49 am    Post subject: Re: Ricasso questions         Reply with quote

George Hill wrote:

BTW, what IS the German for Ricasso?


That would be "Fehlschärfe", which also answers your other question. It translates as "missing sharpness".

So schön und inhaltsreich der Beruf eines Archäologen ist, so hart ist auch seine Arbeit, die keinen Achtstundentag kennt! (Wolfgang Kimmig in: Die Heuneburg an der oberen Donau, Stuttgart 1983)
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George Hill




Location: Atlanta Ga
Joined: 16 May 2005

Posts: 614

PostPosted: Tue 31 Mar, 2009 5:16 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

thank you! How is that pronounced? Fell-sharF? Fella-sharf? Sharf being not unlike um.... Smurf?
To abandon your shield is the basest of crimes. - --Tacitus on Germania
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Torsten F.H. Wilke




Location: Irvine Spectrum, CA
Joined: 01 Jul 2006

Posts: 250

PostPosted: Tue 31 Mar, 2009 9:39 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Hi George,

It would be pronounced similarly to fail-share-fuh. Just don't pronounce the first ai sound so ale or hey sounding as they do in American. And not drawn-out long either.

The best way I can describe the smooth German ehl sound is halfway between the English feel and eh pronounciations.
Usually somewhat tough to get right the first time around by a person used to speaking American English all their life.

Hope that helped...
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Arne Focke
Industry Professional



Location: near Munich, Germany
Joined: 13 Mar 2006
Reading list: 34 books

Posts: 204

PostPosted: Tue 31 Mar, 2009 2:52 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Sounds like a good description to my german ears. Not quite on point, but i can't think of a better one.
So schön und inhaltsreich der Beruf eines Archäologen ist, so hart ist auch seine Arbeit, die keinen Achtstundentag kennt! (Wolfgang Kimmig in: Die Heuneburg an der oberen Donau, Stuttgart 1983)
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