Blade Stresses

August 19, 2020 Sean Franklin 0

We are used to thinking about the forces that swords apply on their targets, but we don’t spend as much time thinking about the forces that the targets apply to the swords. Between axial, shear, bending, and torsion there is a lot more going on than you might have thought!

Sword Cross Sections

August 5, 2020 Sean Franklin 0

In my previous article, “Do Fullers Make Feders Take a Set?”, I promised you that I would take some data on production swords and back up the theory with data. I still haven’t done it, but I do have some measurements of the sharps around my apartment.

Daggers in Men’s Smiles: Tournament Starting Positions versus Outcomes

July 22, 2020 Sarah Potratz 0

Dagger tournaments can receive an unfair reputation as stab-happy fights, with competitors disregarding defense for a ‘first-strike at all costs’ mentality. This paper will determine what proportion of exchanges in a recent dagger and ringen HEMA tournament ended with clean, contained hits and how many ended in doubles or hits with insufficient control

Analysis of the Vibrational Characteristics of a Training Longsword

June 7, 2020 Sean Glover 0

Longswords are often treated as having static vibrational nodes, with implications for sparring. A combination of mathematical analysis, SolidWorks modeling, and practical experiments were used to analyze the motion of a longsword under realistic end conditions. It was determined that not only are the nodes not static with respect to different end conditions, they also vary over time during free vibration after an impulse. Due to the complexity of the vibrations, as well as the very specific design criteria of a sword, it is impractical to attempt to alter the sword to maintain specific node locations. Vibration damping gloves are suggested as a possible remedy to fatigue during sparring.

Now Available: SwordSTEM Polos

May 28, 2020 Sean Franklin 0

Due to popular* demand, SwordSTEM Polos are finally here!Enjoy a nice performance polo and support SwordSTEM at the same time. https://southcoastswords.com/products/sword-stem-sport-polo *as popular as anything […]