Breaking Swords

[toot]

off subject, bot I am reading about the F&I WAR, and a FRIENCH GENERAL broke his sword over his knee rather than surrender it to the valiant defeating BRITISH OFFICIER. I guess it is literary inaccurate historic fake.

 

[toot]

My great grandfather, who served in the Spanish-American war, passed down a story (probably a joke from the period) of the different quality of Spanish and American swords. Spanish swords were supposedly made with high quality Toledo steel.

As the story goes, when the Spanish officer surrendered, he he looked into the American's eye, plunged the tip of his sword into a table, bent it till the handle was also on the table, let it go and it immediately sprung upright, perfectly straight.
The American officer, not to be outdone, likewise stuck his sword into the table, bent the handle to the table and let go. The handle stayed on the table.

Fact or exaggeration? I have no idea.
I have that great grandfather's sword. Maybe I should try it.

remember that TOLEDO STEEL is bar none, the best!!!

 

[James N.]

I have seen several Confederate swords with the last 10-25% of the lower tip of the blade missing and apparently broken off.

It's not that sword blades can't be broken - shot & shell are certainly capable of doing so, and likely minnie balls as well - but breaking them in the manner we've been discussing here is QUITE unlikely if not impossible.

 

[Rhea Cole]

off subject, bot I am reading about the F&I WAR, and a FRIENCH GENERAL broke his sword over his knee rather than surrender it to the valiant defeating BRITISH OFFICIER. I guess it is literary inaccurate historic fake.

Metallurgically, there is a big difference between sabers that are for fighting & dress swords designed as ornaments. Depending on the carbon content of the sword, & how it is tempered the steel in the blade can have very different properties. Chrome was added to make dress swords hold a shine, which makes them relatively brittle. Depending on what it is intended for, a sword could be very durable or very brittle.

 

[gjpratt]

I stand corrected. Chris Calkins recovered it.

 

[Mk VII]

In the 1880s a large number of German-supplied bayonets and swords supplied to Britain broke or bent under the test of battle. It caused something of a scandal.

 

[Rhea Cole]

In the 1880s a large number of German-supplied bayonets and swords supplied to Britain broke or bent under the test of battle. It caused something of a scandal.

That is really interesting. Where, among the many pink areas on the world map of the empire did that take place?

 

[Mk VII]

Egypt & Sudan, I think. The Inquiry took place in 1887.

 

[toot]

Metallurgically, there is a big difference between sabers that are for fighting & dress swords designed as ornaments. Depending on the carbon content of the sword, & how it is tempered the steel in the blade can have very different properties. Chrome was added to make dress swords hold a shine, which makes them relatively brittle. Depending on what it is intended for, a sword could be very durable or very brittle.

thank you.

 

[toot]

I stand corrected. Chris Calkins recovered it.

View attachment 400751

so I guess that it is documented as being done.

 

[FedericoFCavada]

The sort of prissy little gentleman's "small sword" for wearing at court and so on frequently had a thin blade designed for stabbing, and the cross-section of the blade itself shows a "/ \" or V shape. Like an oversize/longer socket bayonet. Plenty lethal. Also much stronger than it looks, at least initially. But, if the metal is brittle...

The hapless royalist governor of Texas Manuel Salcedo did not break his sword. On trying to figure out which self-styled officer of the Gutiérrez-Magee rabble he should hand it over to, and being told it would be some other officer, he simply stuck it in the ground with an air of hauteur and disgust.