[Adam Simmonds]

hi there guys,

Anyone know what sort of quality controls were in place during, say, renaiscance europe to ensure that blades where manufactured to a certain standard?

No doubt there was, like today, the regulating forces of customer feedback - but was this all? I have heard of 'sword guilds' or something like this - groups associated with a city or state power which tested blades and, if deemed of appropriate quality, were then stamped with the guild's mark as a kind of guarantee.

Was this sort of regulatory activity widespread through europe? Could just anyone with access to the necesssary resources go ahead and start smithing blades or was it generally done under licence by established makers/ brands?

I know an opinion exists (because I have held it) that: antique = original = good sword, and: contemporary = copy = not as good. Such an opinion is obviously naive - there were no doubt both good and bad swords produced in the past as well as in the present, and every sword produced will be to some extent both a copy and an original.

What I am interested in is how the quality of blades was regulated historically.

I have specified renaiscance europe as I realise that the facts change with time and place but i would be interested to hear information from any time and place around this topic.


Cheers, Adam