Hello bladeforums,
This is my first post here and I'm glad to be a part of this community. I hope this post contributes to the forums and that my readers will find it interesting.
I have a design I'm working on, for a "macuahuitl", and I use quotations because it's only based on a macuahuitl, I just don't know what else to call it because it's so similar. But simply, its a club with blades attached.
The macuahuitl was an AZTEC weapon, and believe me I'm tired of hearing people call it a Mayan weapon. And no it's not an ancient weapon, so far archeologists and historians have determined that it was used nearer the time of Spain's arrival in Mesoamerica rather than earlier in prehistory.
The Aztec 'sword' is a wooden club, shaped like a flattened bat with a diamond cross section. It has two grooves in each side, is larger towards the end and smaller at the handle, and in the grooves would be embedded/attached/glued blades of obsidian. Obsidian can become five time sharper than steel, and many surgeons today prefer it over stainless blades for certain procedures, but, it is obviously much more brittle than steel.
My design is for a weapon similar to the macuahuitl, although I am not certain that I want the entire thing to be wooden. My design will be made with steel blades rather than obsidian. Easier to attach, maintain, replace (if you have spares). And I still am considering making one with obsidian blades also.
So my main question here is this.... best choice of steel? There will be a HUGE amount of impact on the steel blades, why, because its a club obviously. It is a bludgeoning, bone-breaking, AND slashing weapon.
I'll upload a picture of the design when I can but I'd like to wait till I get a really nice one drawn out instead of the quick sketch I have now.
Other ideas I've had for this club would be to attach a taser-like device so that high voltage would also be applied along with a cut/bash.
I'm considering any high carbon steel, I suppose I'm not 'versed' in all the steels out there and can't just cite ones I know would be good, but basically the steel needs to hold an edge, though more important that the steel is chip and break resistant. So toughness I suppose is priority one, and hardness is next. Either I'll buy the steel and cut it out myself, or have a place prefabricate them (I know a sheet metal shop owner with a laser cutter so that may be an easy way to go). Not interested in the money to get hand forged blade for this 'macuahuitl'.
Thanks, can't wait to hear the comments, and sorry if my typing voice is overly pedantic, I'm not as much a writer as a speaker.
Wkp
This is my first post here and I'm glad to be a part of this community. I hope this post contributes to the forums and that my readers will find it interesting.
I have a design I'm working on, for a "macuahuitl", and I use quotations because it's only based on a macuahuitl, I just don't know what else to call it because it's so similar. But simply, its a club with blades attached.
The macuahuitl was an AZTEC weapon, and believe me I'm tired of hearing people call it a Mayan weapon. And no it's not an ancient weapon, so far archeologists and historians have determined that it was used nearer the time of Spain's arrival in Mesoamerica rather than earlier in prehistory.
The Aztec 'sword' is a wooden club, shaped like a flattened bat with a diamond cross section. It has two grooves in each side, is larger towards the end and smaller at the handle, and in the grooves would be embedded/attached/glued blades of obsidian. Obsidian can become five time sharper than steel, and many surgeons today prefer it over stainless blades for certain procedures, but, it is obviously much more brittle than steel.
My design is for a weapon similar to the macuahuitl, although I am not certain that I want the entire thing to be wooden. My design will be made with steel blades rather than obsidian. Easier to attach, maintain, replace (if you have spares). And I still am considering making one with obsidian blades also.
So my main question here is this.... best choice of steel? There will be a HUGE amount of impact on the steel blades, why, because its a club obviously. It is a bludgeoning, bone-breaking, AND slashing weapon.
I'll upload a picture of the design when I can but I'd like to wait till I get a really nice one drawn out instead of the quick sketch I have now.
Other ideas I've had for this club would be to attach a taser-like device so that high voltage would also be applied along with a cut/bash.
I'm considering any high carbon steel, I suppose I'm not 'versed' in all the steels out there and can't just cite ones I know would be good, but basically the steel needs to hold an edge, though more important that the steel is chip and break resistant. So toughness I suppose is priority one, and hardness is next. Either I'll buy the steel and cut it out myself, or have a place prefabricate them (I know a sheet metal shop owner with a laser cutter so that may be an easy way to go). Not interested in the money to get hand forged blade for this 'macuahuitl'.
Thanks, can't wait to hear the comments, and sorry if my typing voice is overly pedantic, I'm not as much a writer as a speaker.
Wkp