[squbrigg]

A skatter gun is the best....short penetration, don't need to aim much and makes a hell of a noise! A Pump-action is the most effective.....the noise of just "jacking the action" get's their attention real fast! The bore looks like a cannon when they stare down it and it's a class "A" pacifier! Working at a maximum security prison for a few years taught me that little lesson in home security! Never had to pull a trigger!

Bob

[rick-in-seattle]

BobD,
I would be concerned if your friend were to slice & dice someone, what would the responsibility be of the person who sharpened the sword?


Bob (squbrigg),
I agree, a riot-gun is intimidating.

[Ashbys]

BobD,
I might be able to help a little here.
First do you konw what type of swords they were? Make a big difference on how to correctly sharpen them as well as what edge they can hold. Heres what I mean , If they are orginial Japaneese swords, chances are they are folded hand hammer forged. These swords are extreamly high carbon steel and will hold an edge razor sharp, these swords are to be honed and straped. Easiest way is to vice them and treat them like a razor knife. But unless he was hitting rock, chances are they would not need sharpened, you can cut though bone with them and never effect the edge.
If they are repros of any sword chances are they are an untemper and holding an edge is not going to happen, like pretty but mainly show pieces.
The next level is federal issue swords of the 1800's. These were contract swords and produced my many different compaines durning the Civil war. For example Tiffiny's of New York fame produced swords for the goverment from 1863. These swords were sharpend on a hand turned grinding stone. The normal stone size was about 24 inch wheel. And a normal sword rarely had a sharp edge. Most were turned to a 1/16 inch blunt edge.
This was considered sharp. With the edge at that point you can while on horseback slice tomatoes into slices. When they were sharpened farther than that the edge would have a tendency to break if slammed against another sword.
The confederate sword of the same time period was usally of a poor grade steel and was often found impossilble to give a consistant edge. Some high grade swords were found in the confedercy but most of them were made from plow shares. These will hold an edge but will be of the same standard as the federal.
So a lot depends upon which type of sword he has .

Ash

[BobD]

Rick,

I'm not sharpening them--I'm educating him on how to sharpen in general...what he does with it is up to him <grin>

Ash...I think they are of medium quality. I'm not sure that they were actually 1,000 layer blades--in fact, knowing what he does for a living, I'm sure he couldn't afford one of those.

I think these are the type of blades you would get at a renaissance fair. He knows enough to get carbon steel and a full-tang...but I don't think he'd submit the swords for a rockwell test...

Bob

[Ashbys]

Hehe Sorry Bob, Ok so the fun question , do you want to make him sweat a lot sharpening them ? If so tell him they will only hold an edge if he gets a 600 grit oil stone and hand polishes them > Hehe should keep him busy for about 3 weeks .

But outside of that , if he has an off hand grinder, they should be ground from the Center break to the outside edge with a sweeping motion across the grinder, tapered from the hitl to the point. The point should grind down to an edge with the edge forming about 8 inches from the tip. Since many of the repos are stainless, and usallly something like a 440. They just will not maintain any type of a durable edge.

After the grinding place the blade while sitting between the knees with the hilt towards you and the tip of the sword pointed away from you. Using a medium grit stone work one side of the blade counting strokes and then the other, matching strokes. Because of the width of a sword blade it is honed at about a 7- 10 degree angle. Then raise the hilt towards your shoulder and move about 6 inches down the blade. Maintain your angle and repete the process, do this the entire length of the blade.

The end of most swords are sharpen at the end on both sides, Unless he really abused it the back tip point should be ok and will only need a light honing.

He should after learning how to hold it for sharpening , he should first wear gloves to protect from cuts. Because of the length and edge it is easy to nick your hand against the blade, and although they usally wont hold an edge they will sharpen down enought to cut a hand . They basically sharpen like a good knife.

Hope this helps.
Ash
Ash

[AlArchie]

Bob, here's something I just got from my cousin......seems fitting.

Al

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full

For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.

After 2 years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream "I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house."

! The old woman smiled, "Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them."

"For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house."

Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.

To all of my crackpot friends, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers
.

[rick-in-seattle]

Al,
Something I got off the Seattle area news:

Man Surrenders In Connection With Deadly Stabbing
Police said a witness saw two men fighting, and one man lunged at the other man with a 2-foot-long sword. The suspect surrendered Sunday morning.
4/17/2005

Cops Cleared In Sword-Wielding Shooting Death
Seattle officers shot and killed a man when he raised a sword; jury decides they were justified.
9/12/2002

Police Shoot, Wound Man Waving Sword At Police
The man is at Harborview in satisfactory condition.
3/7/2002

Seattle police chief explains why officers had to use deadly force against sword-wielding man in University District Monday afternoon.
1/19/2002

Deputy Shoots, Kills Man With Sword
Parkland Vietnam vet threatened apartment resident.
6/7/2001

[AlArchie]

YIKES!

Rick, I sure didn't mean to imply that guys with swords can't be dangerous, just that most guys with swords ( like most gun owners) are not, and some may have a few non-threatening quirks!

I remember arresting a nude guy that was threatening passersby with an 8 foot spear, (tipped by a lawn mower blade that had been ground to a point and sharpened like a razor on both sides), then retreating back into the woods. When we got there, he charged at us with that spear, but I was able to grab the darn thing and wrestle it away from him. Don't know whether I was more worried about that spear, or with wrestling with a nude guy!!!!!

Either way, he went to jail and then into treatment, and I went back to the post and showered!

That fella was WAY past quirky!

Al

[squbrigg]

LOL .....Al....the things you do to make a living!!! That lad must have had some serious issues! Running around nude with a sharpened lawn-mower blade in your hand is bad enough........but attacking a cop with it is crazier than a bag of hammers! He's lucky he didn't need another kind of treatment if he'd have tripped!

Ouch....I don't even want to think about it!

Bob

[rales]

I don't own a sword, spear, or a sharp lawnmower blade... but today I did have my trusty 12mm #3 in my hand when a large spider decided to walk across my bench... bad move on his part! In a total reflex action - I squashed that sucker flat - and since I used the flat of the gouge - I didn't even have to strop afterwards.

I felt like a Knight of the Round Table - vanquishing evil in all forms. It should prove that even a dull sword can be deadly!

My apologies to PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Arachnids)... usually I just use my ShopVac to suck them off to heaven....