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... out the blade. But steel is not perfect. There are microscopic defects that all metals have. Cheap steel is filled with them, but even the best steel blades will have tiny flaws in its structure. Those flaws are so small that they have no effect on the vibration rate, therefore the sound of the ringing. But the vibration does turn those flaws into micro fractures, which with time can become break points for your sword.

It is interesting to point out that the swords used for film work do not ring at all. The film swords are usually made to be sturdy and extremely light, with no thought given to "ringing steel". The wonderful sounds that you hear in a movie sword fight are all added in post production. As that option is not available for stage, directors insist that all swords ring like bells.

Any metal can ring so long as the vibration within the blade proper can be somehow isolated from the handle, which would normally be able to absorb the vibration. So what can you tell from the ring? Nothing in terms of fight worthiness, but there is one benefit during rehearsal. Once you become accustomed to the way a particular sword sounds, a subtle change in that ring could mean that the sword is beginning to loosen and needs to be retightened. You may get a sudden drop in tone, or perhaps a secondary rattle or low rumble as some part of the guard starts to shake. But that is it. Some really cheap worthless swords ring wonderfully, and some very high quality swords simply clunk when struck. In order to check for fight worthiness, you need to examine the blade more closely.

Does it bend? Even the heavier broadswords will show some spring in them, and you need to see if the sword will spring back to its original shape. Some of the thinner sport fencing blades will allow for a little change in the bend, but for the most part if you can take a sword, bend it over your knee, and it stays bent, then keep it as a costume piece but don’t fight with it.

Assuming you have springy steel, now check the tang. You can only do this by removing the blade from the hilt [see the beginning of the chapter]. If you have a very wide blade, but a very narrow tang, the blade might crack at the shoulder. There is no hard and fast rule here, but a two-inch wide blade with a tang only 1/4 inch at the shoulder is not something I would trust in a fight scene. I feel more comfortable when the tang is at least one third the width of the shoulder on a light blade, and at least one half the width of the shoulder on a heavy blade, but that is just the minimum. Wider is always better.

Incidentally, a tang that stays bent (not springy) is not bad, for most fight grade blades are differentially tempered so as to leave the end of the tang soft even if the blade proper is stiff. That makes it easier to thread the tang and bend it to fit the handle. Also, many fencing blades have a tang that is not in a straight line with the blade but is actually at a slight angle to it. That’s done on purpose, to allow a fencer to point the tip of the sword at the opponent without having to overly bend the wrist.

Now check the edge. Most blades for stage combat will have a beveled, though not sharp, edge, and if the angle is too acute the blade might gouge into other swords. Even if fight worthy, you may want to grind down the edge until there is more "meat" on the contact surface. This is one of the reasons that most Ren-Faire swords are not practical for stage combat. Most are strong and correctly tempered, but the edge is so thin that they deeply gouge, often to a depth of more than 1/2 inch, after just a few strikes from another sword.

The edges of any blade are not impervious to strike damage. Burrs should be removed and gouges reduced, as not only are they potential break points on a blade, but the burrs are sharp enough to slice through skin and costumes. When the combat is aggressive, it is quite common for the edge to nick and develop burrs, especially on new blades. But if the edges deeply gouge with nearly every strike, the steel is probably too soft for ...