(SCA) Broadsword balance

Alcyoneus · Post by **Alcyoneus** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 12:43 pm

"Only accurate rifles are interesting" Colonel Whelan Townsend

I balance mine at the point you prefer, as well. My tip moves as fast as anyone's that isn't using a minimum whippy stick, and far more accurate.

Only the blows that land on target count.

Kenwrec Wulfe · Post by **Kenwrec Wulfe** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 1:15 pm

I balance my a hand's width away from the crossguard as well.

Koredono · Post by **Koredono** » Sat Jul 29, 2006 12:36 am

What is this 'broadsword balance' of which you speak?

Seriously, back in the day (i.e. when I regularly fought with sword and shield), I was taught to make swords very similarly to Alfred - good weight basket hilts (usu. welded heavy bar stock) with a lead pipe cap pommel, which brought the balance point to within 2" of the 'top' of the basket hilt, on the blade side.

Then, I stopped using broadswords and went to pure Japanese weapons forms, and discovered (through many years of having instances of being forced to fight that way) that my katana (30" blade, 15" hilt) had a good enough balance to fight with one-handed, and a plain ol' stick, 28" - 30" pf blade, with just enough hilt to fit a gauntleted hand on, worked just fine for a broadsword, in the instance when I've needed to use one on purpose.

To answer Alfred's query, I have noticed that few, if any, of the top fighters in my area use both a basket hilt *and* a pommel, and the ones who don't use basket hilts use pommels more for look than for optimizing balance and effect. I didn't notice when the change happened, but I agree that years and years ago, it was the norm, but is now seemingly a rarity.

carlyle · Post by **carlyle** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 6:21 am

I've recently had some very interesting discussions with some of our top fighters here, and I thought I'd throw it out to this forum to get your feedback.

For background, a long time ago in the Middle Kingdom I started building my rattan batons with pipe caps "pommels". At first, it was because it was what I was shown and was our "best effort" to mimic the dominant historical design; and as time went on, it was the way I was best able to reliably reproduce the same dynamics in all my weapons. I eventually settled on an "ideal" template that, with a pipe cap pommel on a (just under) 1.25" round by 38" rattan blank, results in blades that consistently balance one-handsbreadth in front of my "cross" (or basket hilt).

I returned to the West a year-and-a-half ago, and recently started fighting again after an extended layoff. Now, either technology has surpassed me or I'm just so out of practice that I can't hit a darn thing I throw at; but as often as not, my head is little more than a pinata for many of my opponents. One of our more helpful dukes has suggested that part of the reason I am getting the short end of the stick (so to speak) is because my sticks are too "hilt heavy". To me, I am hearing him say that my balance point is too far back. And while I couldn't get a good answer on just how far out it should be, another fighter I respect immensely says that his blades balance 6- or 7-fingers out (a rough approximation). Note that neither of these fighters have any significant counterweight behind their baskets, and that, if I was to draw a generalization, pommels are fairly uncommon in the West overall.

Now, these and other fine gentles have tried to explain the advantages of a more tip-heavy blade, but the question I would like to ask the forum members here is where you tend to balance your blades, if there is a "method" to your "madness" in this choice, and finally, if there is a general trend you can recognize among the top fighters in your area one way or the other.

Thanks in advance for any light you care to shed on the subject,

Alfred of Carlyle
(Trying to "empty my cup" -- again!)

rob(in) · Post by **rob(in)** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:23 pm

mine ends up about a hand width up from the hilt. people wonder how i fight w/ such a tip-heavy sword, until i have them try it with the gauntlet on.

i know a few that pour lead into the grip section to place the balance point in the center of the grip. even w/ 1.25" rattan, you have a heavy sword w/ incredible tip speed.

Kilkenny · Post by **Kilkenny** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 9:50 pm

I conducted a thoroughly informal survey years ago and found that chivalry level fighters (from all over the Knowne World) who were primarily broadsword slingers used swords that balanced about 4 inches in front of the guard. It seems to offer the best compromise between the blinding speed that comes with putting the balance point in your hand and the thudding impact that comes with putting it much further out.

Whether a similar survey would yield the same results today I do not know.

IMO, too close in and you have to work too hard to hit with power, too far out you have to work too hard to recover the sword.

Gavin

Jean Paul de Sens · Post by **Jean Paul de Sens** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 11:17 pm

I just went and checked mine. 5 and 1/2 inches. both of them... interestingly enough I did not design them to have the same balance point. I may try to add a small amount of weight to the pommel to see if I can move the balance point back to 4" or so like Kilkenny recommends and see.

JP