More Falcatas (pix)

There's a very good picture of a Spanish 'falcata' at -
www.kah-bonn.de/pr/iberere.htm

In passing; AFAICS, the word 'falcata' is a modern coinage, not a genuine Latin word for the curved Spanish sword. It's derived from the adjective 'falcatus', meaning hooked or curved. The principal description of the 'falcata' comes from the Greek historian Polybius, writing about the weapons used by Spanish mercenaries fighting for Hannibal against Rome (IIRC, Polybius uses the Greek word 'machaira', referring to the earlier, almost identical weapon used in the 6th-4th centuries BC)

The 'falcata' wasn't the most common form of sword used by the Spanish; they preferred a short, straight-bladed, double-edged sword, which the Romans adopted and used for several hundred years.

It's been fifteen years since I last read Polybius, but IIRC he implies that the 'falcata' was a laminated blade (a soft iron core sandwiched between layers of carbon steel)

A year or so back, I had a local bladesmith make me a machaera; it's a pretty close copy of the one in the British Museum, except for some minor changes to the hilt and the point. He made it out of truck spring, and hardened/tempered it in hydraulic oil. It's a very fine blade indeed, with superb balance and cutting power (though not, IMHO, as good as a 25" Kobra...)

I can see no reason why the kamis shouldn't be able to make a perfectly good copy of this style of blade, given a wooden pattern; a sketch won't do (I sent Bill a copy of a picture of the British Museum machaira and asked him to get me one made just like it; the result was a superb quality, beautifully finished, 100%-traditionally-styled khukuri...)
 
Hi Robert,

Where did you come by the photo of the replica falcata's?
Who makes them and do they have an email address?
It would be neat for HI to make a falcata, but after reading the post about the heat treat method prohibiting thin (lighter?) blades, I wonder of the finished product wouldn't be 4/5 or more pounds? That's fine for chopping wood, but for martial arts practice, it's much too meavy.
 
Hi Z,
I calculate the blade to be about 2#s or a little less, this would put it on par with the origionals +/-. The only problem would be in the point area. But having given it a good bit of thought, I believe that I can design a point not too different from the origional that would be strong enough as a weapon, but maybe a little weak for chopping oil drums, etc.
Dan
 
Z,
I got the pics in an email from a swordforum member,Ive lost his email so I dont know if he makes these to sell or not.

Heres another replica he sent me

<center><img src=http://server3003.freeyellow.com/jon-ritchie/new.jpg></center>

There are a few companies that sell replicas,DelTin,Museum Replicas etc.

The main problem seems to be the point,and how to make it strong enough.I think it will be ok,as long as we treat this as a sword and dont try to use it as an AK
smile.gif
The Kamis version of this should be very interesting and beautiful.

[This message has been edited by Robert Cole (edited 09-25-2000).]
 
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