A double edged blade cuts on both sides, which means it works on the backswing and does not care which way the wrist is turned. It also has to be symmetrical, so the smith gets no help hiding a wandering distal taper. That is why the shape has been the mark of a proper sword across Europe and China for two thousand years.
Europe and China, side by side
The European blades run long. Nightbriar is an elven style longsword in 1095 high carbon steel. Elmshade is 43 inches overall with a 34 inch blade and a ribbed cord and leather grip over a hardwood core. Bramblehilt is the heavy one, a basket hilt broadsword at 38 inches overall with a 32 inch blade, a pierced steel basket, a red liner and a black scabbard. The Chinese pair are lighter and narrower. Jadeholt is a Damascus jian, 35 inches overall with a 27 inch blade. Stonelark is the high carbon version at 34 inches with a 26.5 inch blade. Both are built for the thrust and the draw cut rather than the chop, which is what separates a jian from everything else here.
The Chinese blades sit in jian and dao Chinese swords, the broad European ones in broadswords, and the caged hilts in basket and shell hilt swords.
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Hand Forged
Heated, hammered and ground by hand.
Engraving available
Names, dates or Norse runes on most pieces.
