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Looking for information on the thicknesses of Pugiones? I have gone through all of my research data and have not been able to find the tang, blade or mid-rib thicknesses.
Especially those that have the wide and contoured fullers that follow the outside shape of the blade? I am trying to figure out how to make these without forging them but doing it with stock removal.
Any help that you can give me in these thicknesses would be greatly appreciated. The ones that I have pictures or drawings of almost look like they would have to be thicker than a Gladius Sword. But that doesn't make sense to me.
I also know that many of the Pugiones were made with three pieces of metal by boil-welding the metals together and the Mid-rid portion was the middle section and the Mid-rib already stood higher than the rest of the blade...
Thank you...
Patrick
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Patrick Crispvs would be the best one to message about this, however in Pugio Saliola/Casprini page 48 ( which I think you are reading ) this is the only mention of thickness which surprising as all the examples that are in the book all have dimensions bar this one ? Type A with no midrib 2mm type B,C midrib and lenticular 4mm. As to stock removal to do a mid rib is quite easy, but a little more time and care to do.
This is a sword I did years ago from a blade found in Steinamanger Hungary ( sorry its not a Pugio ) I used a 1mm cutting disc, warning you have to be careful when using this type of disc as a grinding disc it took me a lot of hours to do both sides on a 30" blade, also it was a special industrial disc I used.
I would first mark two lines down the blade to the width of the rib, next grind the edges of the blade up to the line, once you are happy, run a cutting disc gently down your lines to the depth you need. Then gently reduce the metal down with a grinding disc to expose the rib if you can follow
hope this what you are after
Regards Brennivs
Woe Ye The Vanquished
Brennvs 390 BC
When you have all this why do you envy our mud huts
Caratacvs
Centvrio Princeps Brennivs COH I Dacorivm (Roma Antiqvia)
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08-12-2017, 08:59 PM
(This post was last modified: 08-12-2017, 09:18 PM by brennivs - tony drake.)
Patrick just digging around my vast book shelf pulled out the dimensions for the Velsen dagger
Blade length . 23.05cm
Max width cross gaurd. 6.3cm
Blade width. 5.7cm
Thickness of blade. 2.3mm
Thickness at rib. 3.8mm
As you can imagine corrosion must play a part in all dimensions and loss of surface material over the years. 2mm as posted from the book, seems to me too thin for a viable blade without a midrib but I am no expert on this
As to the boil welding it is just forge welded but the picture shows the midrib already done before welding, this would not be just a centre core with blade welded to it, then the midrib forged into it or ground out.
Regards Brennivs
Woe Ye The Vanquished
Brennvs 390 BC
When you have all this why do you envy our mud huts
Caratacvs
Centvrio Princeps Brennivs COH I Dacorivm (Roma Antiqvia)