# Real Swords???



## Josh (Dec 28, 2005)

hey.



I have been wondering about what swords were like back in the Ancient Days.


Swords today are Shiny metal.



But from some of the stuff i've seen, a Samurai sword back in the Samurai days wasn't shiny metal, but Sharp stone.  Same with the Ancient Greeks, Israelites, Persians, etc...


But were those swords back then Metal at all or just carved out of some Hard material which i can only think of as stone?


Thanks.


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## bignick (Dec 28, 2005)

The science of metallurgy has been around for thousands of years, people started combining tin and copper to make bronze around 2000-3000 B.C....unless you're talking about cutting implements made in the stone age.


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## Jonathan Randall (Dec 28, 2005)

Josh said:
			
		

> I have been wondering about what swords were like back in the Ancient Days.
> 
> Swords today are Shiny metal.
> 
> ...


 
You heard wrong. The best suggestion I could make for you would be to google for a military history museum that has pictures online to view.


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## Bob Hubbard (Dec 28, 2005)

Start here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword


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## Gemini (Dec 29, 2005)

Josh said:
			
		

> hey.
> 
> 
> But from some of the stuff i've seen, a Samurai sword back in the Samurai days wasn't shiny metal, but Sharp stone. Same with the Ancient Greeks, Israelites, Persians, etc...
> ...


 
Not sure what you saw, Josh, but in the long history of swords, the Samurai, using the Katana, were at the tail end, not the beginning. Even ancient Greeks (500 B.C.?) not only used metal for swords, but also for armor. Sharp stone being brittle, was used for missle heads and smaller cutting utensils/weapons. It would have been as impractical as say, Titanium for a weapon such as a sword.


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## Swordlady (Dec 29, 2005)

Check out Sword Forum International.  It's one of the largest (probably THE largest) online community of sword enthusiasts, collectors, sword art practioners, swordmakers, etc.

Also, your initial question is a little too broad.  Try narrowing it down a little bit.  Is there a specific period you want to address?


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## Josh (Dec 30, 2005)

cool stuff.


Naw, i've just seen in some History books, weapons, such as swords that were Pure stone but carved in the shape of a sword and that was it, that was their sword.  Unless that was just how the Vikings did it.


Maybe i was trying to ask whether or not Swords were made the same way today as they are back in those ancient, cultural periods.


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## Blindside (Dec 30, 2005)

Viking swords were steel.

Lamont


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## pgsmith (Jan 1, 2006)

Josh,
  I've no idea where you got your ideas, but there has _never_ been a sword carved out of stone. There is no stone that would be ductile enough to enable a sword shape to hold together without breaking. The closest to a stone sword that has ever been are the Aztecs, who would insert sharpened obsidian pieces into a piece of wood to fashion a serrated sword-like weapon.

  Swords today can be made in exactly the same way they were then. Most aren't though since most swords available today are merely decorative stainless steel pieces that are only good for hanging on the wall.


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## arnisador (Jan 1, 2006)

Stone was used in some really early axe-like tools, but not for swords.


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## Grenadier (Jan 1, 2006)

As the others have stated, only short weapons or parts, such as knives or axe heads, were made of stone.  You simply can't make a weapon of the length of a sword out of just about any stone, since the inherent brittleness would result in the weapon shattering all too easily. 

pgsmith, were you referring to the adze?


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## Blindside (Jan 2, 2006)

I think pgsmith was referring to a macuahitl, the Spanish described it fairly well during their conquests.

Lamont


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## bignick (Jan 2, 2006)

This was part of the burin and blade technology during the stone age.  Instead of just taking a big rock and sharpening the sides by using a hammer stone, a core was prepared and extremely sharp blades were chipped off, it allowed a lot more efficient use of resources.  But still, not a sword.


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## pgsmith (Jan 2, 2006)

> I think pgsmith was referring to a macuahitl ...


  Thanks Lamont!
  I remembered the description vividly, but could not remember the name at all!


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## Blindside (Jan 2, 2006)

pgsmith said:
			
		

> Thanks Lamont!
> I remembered the description vividly, but could not remember the name at all!


 
Its nice to know that mesoamerican anthropology class was good for something. 

Lamont


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## Josh (Jan 11, 2006)

Here guys.



I thought ya'll might like this site. I did.



But take a look at some of the weapons and if they're NOT Japanese, they're not all Shiny, Steel, they at least LOOK STONISH if they're not.

http://www.antiqueswords.com


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## Blindside (Jan 12, 2006)

It is called a patina, and in some cases rust.

Good site though, wish I could afford any number of those swords.

Lamont


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