[Roger Hooper]

I noticed in Albion's news section that they have a prototype hand-and-a-half XIX Next Gen blade - very cool. I liked the grooves in the ricasso, particularly the way they took a curve to the cusp at the bottom of the grooves. Perhaps you can do something like that with confidence using a CNC machine. On my forged Armart XIX, they were much more tentative, and, to my regret, did not create those patterns to their full amplitude.

This is encouraging news for the Albion XIX's.

[Nathan Robinson]

Roger, I noticed that blade photo posted as well and was excited to see it. I was also glad to see the detail of the incised ricasso lines. It's quite nice.

I've always liked your ArmArt as well.

[Peter Johnsson]

Thanks!
I am happy you appreciate this detail. It is a seemingly small thing, but it makes for a big difference. Some extra care and labour has gone into this to make sure they come out correct. As on some originals there are also decorative lines running on each side of the fuller, ending in a little decorative sign at the fullers end.

The decorative lines in the ricasso of these swords can be forged easily enough if you have the right tools for the job.
A straight chisel with a narrow U shaped section is used for the lenghtwise line, another more or less C- or comma-shaped one for the curve and a third for the circular, dot- or star-shaped ending.

The lines are forged into the ricasso at the very end of the shaping of the blade, when all forging of the blade itself is done.
I think these typical lines in the ricasso were not just for decoration but also a mark for the blade grinder as an aid when grinding the edge bevels.

Regardelss if you forge these decorations or if they are made with CNC machine, it is as much a matter of skill with your tools as an awareness of shape and form.
Using a CNC machine puts high demands on programming (if the result is to look organic) and precision in execution. All the elements in the blade: surface, taper, edge bevels, fullering and decorative lines are done in steps. As the blade is shaped it grows increasingly thinner and will be more and more prone of shifting in its web of steel. The process is not so automatic that the machine can do it without maintenance or supevision. The Machinist works with the machine like a craftsman works with his tools.
It takes awareness, knowledge and skill to get good (and constant) results.

The same holds true with the smith: he has to know his craft and have an understanding of both the technical and aesthetic aspekts of his work.

I think the skill aspekt in the making of the CNC machined blade is often underestimated. It is not a case where you put a length of steel into one end of a machine and get a finished sword out of the other.

Likewise I think the mental aspekt of forging is often underestimated. Awareness of form and proportion is as important as handiness with the hammer.
In a forged sword many operations are also *not* forged, but filed or ground.

It is dfficult to see on the photo, but to me it looks like the decorative groves on the Armart sword are not forged, but cut with a dremel tool or similar. I am only guessing this from what I can make out from the photo.
-Roger, could you have a careful look at this detail and let us know what you think?

[Roger Hooper]

[Nathan Robinson]

[Roger Hooper]

Peter, perhaps that photo of your XIX blade is creating an illusion because the resolution isn't that great. If they aren't aready there, I respectfully suggest that you should move the curved lines to the circle down almost to the bottom of the ricasso so that the line curves closely reflect the curves at the ricasso end. If you look in Oakeshott's Records at XIX.1 and XIX.2, you will see that thjose incised lines are almost on top of that curved ricasso edge, creating a very attractive effect.. In the photo above, the line appears to be about 5mm above that place.

If I'm misreading the photo, never mind.

[Jason Dingledine]

[Roger Hooper]

Thanks for the answer, Jason