How do I fix a small notch in a sword blade? -- myArmoury.com

Tony Brass

Help. I dented the edge of an MRL Falchion. Is there a way to fix it? File it? re-sharpen? live with it?

Michal Plezia · Industry Professional

It is difficult to say-every dent is different Wink

Maybe a good close-up picture would help?There are many swordmakers and other experienced people on myArmoury.com so I am sure you'll get help.

Bruno Giordan · Posted: Sun 26 Aug, 2007 8:19 am Post subject:

TIG welding? Sacrilege perhaps, but someone more knowledgeable than me could help.

i have just ended my usual power hammer seminar held by specialist in an ancient medieval town, so I could feel rather confident at saying that such people would treat empirically the matter in the historical way, by resharpening it.

The other historical way would be to disassemble the blade and forge-weld the missing edge, an uncertain procedure that would also require also new heat treating.

I say uncertain because you should put again the blade in the forge, so there would be also the need to straiten the blade and regrind and polish a good deal of it: this will surely make the re-ground area thinner than the rest.
This thinning would require probably a general regrinding if you wanted to retrieve an historically correct distal taper (as long as the MRL has one).

It is a risky and costly operation, a thing that could be tempted only by a serious specialist.

If the piece is unimportant you could perhaps try with a tig welding made by a real soldering specialist, to whom you could ask some further questions: such people usually are not aware of the problems involved in sword making, however.

I would re-grind the blade ...

B. Stark · Industry Professional

A good fine cut file, oil and some sharpening stones. Patience and care. No need to regrind for a notch. There are plenty of historical swords with notches in them. If it gets used it's going to happen. You may have to refinish the polish on the blade to blend it better but I have found that that generally improves the look of the blade(as opposed to the shiny polish that MRLs come with): So some grey scotch brite might be in order. One caveat, take it very easy with file. Also, depending on the dynamics of the notch(whether it's actually chipped out or just an edge deformation) will determine just how you go about cleaning it up.

Angus Trim

Tony Brass · Posted: Sun 26 Aug, 2007 6:58 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the advice. It is actually a small chip - very small, but right on the most dramatic part of the single edged blade, so it bugs me. I filed it, per your suggestion, and it no longer snags an oily rag, but it is just visible. i may have to either accept it as giving the blade character, or resharpen that part of the blade - then the scotch brite pads.

Bruno Giordan

Jean Thibodeau

Tony Brass · Posted: Mon 27 Aug, 2007 9:57 am Post subject:

This dent, or chip, I am estimating is 1 to 1.5 mm. So not puny, but not huge. I am reassused by Mr. Trim saying that there is nothing to worry about. To be sure, of what we are talking about - it's a little jagged chip, on what appears to be a thin brittle edge.

Thanks for the help - I feel like I'm whining about such a small thing, but I spoil my swords.