The leather washer is there to soak up blood thats coming down the blade. A more serious thought, the rise of washers coincides with the ramping up of industrial sword mass production. Maybe their original purpose was also to make the marriage between stock hilts and stock blades easier when they werent specifically made for eachother and had very loose tolerances.
So basically what you are saying is that I shouldn't have thrown away the leather washer that came with a basket hilt Scottish broad sword I bought. It was the first basket hilt I had purchased and I thought it was just a a weird bit of packing material.
On a british naval hunter hanger I restored, it had wooden wedges driven in left and right of the hilt in order to acheive this (one was rotten away, causing the hilt to twist and rattle). On my KuK Model 1889 Infantry training sabre, ther is a cast/drop forged steel basket with a huge opening (almost as wide as the grip), and the washer with a fitting cutout is riveted over it in order to make it fit the blade. The function of this particular washer was letting you mass produce the thick parts, and only fitting(hand-filing) a 2mm washer to fit the blade. Thus - if you messed it up or needed to repair the (much abused) training hilt at some point, you only had to replace the washer, not the whole hilt. I can send you some pictures of this construction, if you are interested.
Who would have thought the topic of washers on sabers would be so interesting. If this was ten years ago, I would have said "not another saber video." Now I'm in love with sabers and tulwars. All thanks to you Matt!
At the battle of Cedar Mountain, in Virginia, in 1862, Stonewall Jackson, while rallying his men, tried to draw his saber, but it had stuck/rested into the scabbard. So, he un hooked the whole thing from his belt and waved it over his head. Jackson, supposedly, had very rarely drawn his sword.
'Gasket' would be a more accurate description. In addition to sealing, it also reduces the shock imparted to the hilt when the blade is returned to the scabbard. The scabbard behaving like a slide-hammer trying to drive the hilt of the tang which probably accounts for many loose hilts.
Matt has to being making these puns and double entendres on purpose these days, gotta love how well they fit with the topic though, grabs the attantion
Matt thank you so very much for sharing some of your collection and vast knowledge of swords and other bladed weapons! While many of us may be collectors and users of sharp things, very few of us have the information and examples that you share with us.. Might you please do a review on the US 1860 cavalry sabers? Some were "light" while others were heavier- and durimg the war many were churned out by various makers, Confederate and Federal..
That would be cool! They were extremely springy & flexible too! Some could be bent to almost 90° and they would just spring back completely straight!!!
Interesting. I've just checked my Victorian police sabres/cutlasses/hangers and the leather washers on those appear to just be to form a seal with the scabbard.
A soft washer will also tend to spread lateral stress over a wider area and reduce the stress concentration (and thus reduce the possibility of a blade break) at the point where the hilt and tang join the blade. Further note that this effect will be more significant on a narrower blade than on something like an arming sword, which could help to explain its increased use as blade widths reduced. Then, as crucible steels became more widespread starting in the 18th century, it wouldn't be surprising to find less need for stress riser mitigation by the 19th century.
By Jove I wish I could actually look at the washer when you show it closer to the camera, but you chose a super camera friendly looking sabre. The ricasso engraving just looked super interesting and I couldn't really pay attention. (not really complaining, I've been a subscriber for years, I remember what a washer is. I was just aw struck by the sabre.)
For me, you can ramble about sabres for hours, until your hair falls off, and it wouldn't bother me a bit. Please, sabres, sabres, s... . Great vid, and i want a signed Easton gym sabre when it finally comes out!!
Figures... I never knew they could be actual washers. When I restored my great-grandpather's military cuteaux there was a "washer" but only encircling the blade's base and I assumed they where only used to prevent moisture entering (and I replaced it with a replica I've made using the original as a template)
I use the Dremel felt polishing wheel, they are off white and come in bags of lots, nice and plush... voluptuous even. Fitted to my rapier and smaller swords, I cut raw hide for bigger swords. Just me, I see them as a consumable so keep them looking fresh and ship shape, routinely refreshing them prevents them looking like the sole of a tramps shoe. Stay classy my friends.
great video! All saber all the time is fine for me. A Cuban fencing coach once taught me to slip a metal washer on the tang before mounting the saber blade on its aluminum guard precisely because of this. He told me fencing bellguards are hard to come by where he's from. Can you do a video talking about saber guards? Or about that up turned lip we see at the extreme end of the knuckle bow where it slips over the tang? I've seen this on a lot of gymnasium sabers and Italian sabers. I reckon it is there for strength because a lot of guards after heavy use can crack or bend there. Thanks.
It shouldn't be too hard to replace a washer without having to dismantle the blade. Make a washer of the appropriate thickness, cut out a hole to fit the tang, then cut open one end at an angle. Put the guard under compression, clean out any remaining material, then push the new washer in place and release the compression. You can swell the leather slightly using dubbin or beeswax and a hair dryer.
Viridis XIC That would have been a very lazy incompetent man, not worthy of being called a Soldier . Your life depended on your own personal weapon, it was the tool of your trade, and became part of you, and as such you looked after it. Had he have cleaned and maintained his weapon at least once a day, as we were taught to do, then no way would his sword have rusted into its scabbard, and rendered it as useless. As a Royal Marine, if I was found with a speck of rust, or dust even , on my rifle or bayonet, then I would be charged with Gross Neglect of my weapon, and the punishment would have been severe.
What is the significance of brass scabbards? Have they got anything to do with an officer’s rank or status, or are they just an optional extra akin to having a gilt steel hilt. What are the pros and cons of having a brass scabbard over a steel scabbard?
A brass scabbard won't corrode as readily and they look pretty and flashy but they dent and bend very easily because of the softer metal. I think you had to be a major or above to have a brass scabbard? At least in the British army.
I know copper doesn't spark (the powder holds of old ships were lined with copper) and I think the same thing applies to the copper alloy, brass. Not sure if that would be a reason to make a scabbard out of it. I think brass also doesn't rust like steel/iron so it's probably better for naval officers or soldiers in humid climates.
Most modern swordsmen are portrayed as using only swords in battle. That is mainly due to Hollywood not knowing much about the subject. It seems there are two schools of thought on how to best use swords in battle. One is the dueling method as is seen in most movies just for the action factor. The other being more realistic is with sword and shield in hand. The latter being the most sense-able way. One without the other is helpless.
I always thought schilt stood for sh&^%y hilt", myself. Seriously tho I always just assumed it was to deflect blades never thought about the weight aspect. Until now.
I suspect you're on to something about the shilt. If it was just for hand protection, then why didn't sharp blades have them? As far as I know shilts are exclusive to training swords.So being there weight distribution makes sense.
I like how you put the pieces of history together into coherent patterns and reasons. What do you do for a nylon sword with a loose basket? Mine came a bit loose and I can't tighten every last bit of it out.
They don't stop the sword rattling in the scabbard. That rattle comes from the blade hitting the inside of the scabbard - nothing to do with the guard/hilt :-)
I have a sword (broken & reshaped) the washer is gone… the knuckle bow of the guard was cut away & was handle was replaced with a carves wood handle. I wanted to replace the washer & replace the bow. Would soaking the washer in beeswax help it to last longer?
Saber related: For left-handed fencer would the numbered cuts/parries be reversed? Or do they stay the same on either side (cut number 1 always hits opponent on left side of the head) for ease of communication?
They are reversed - the odd numbers should be from the 'outside' and the even numbers from the 'inside'. Though if you have lefty training with righty, then it's probably easier to ignore the numbers...
Curious about how much weight would have been removed from the basket guard on that last gymnasium sabre by drilling the holes in it - perhaps so they could put a bit more weight into the washer and move the balance point further forward? Slightly amusing to hear you approximating in millimetres when ' 3/16" to quarter inch ' would have done for the first and ' about half an inch ' would have been adequate for the second ;-)
Most people who use the metric system do not really know what you mean by 3/16 of an inch or about half an inch we can guess millimeters is just more precise and we already know it. Eh i prob should not say most but i will anyway.
Some makers did, but it doesn't fully solve the problem, as you'll still be dealing with a thick piece of blade steel against a thin piece of less hard steel. It's easier and cheaper to just add a steel washer, which is replaceable.
Of course this led me down the rabbit hole of "where does the word 'washer' come from anyway"? Doesn't seem like there's a good answer. www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1713/whats-the-purpose-of-washers-the-round-metal-things/
Interesting and informative show. But it takes him forever to say anything. Blah blah blah! Get to the point. Usually just tune him out and quit watching. Ticks me off cause I know I'm missing a lot of good stuff.
