A flamberge is actually a type of sword design whose blades follow a wavy pattern. Flamberges are found in many cultures, especially in the Islamic culture. In fact, it’s been said that Germany copied the flamberge design from the Muslims during the medieval period, then it spread throughout Europe. Consequently, the flamberge design was eventually incorporated into European military swords and daggers.
Flamberge-designed swords were first used by the Muslims in the 7th century. They were primarily used as ceremonial weapons, but they also found their way into the hands of military men. During this time, the flamberge was a fairly common weapon. In the 16th century, the flamberge was used by the Germans and the French in battle.
The usage of the term flamberge created a problem in sword nomenclature. The word flamberge literally means flame-blade in French, but the word flame in this context is a mistranslation of the French word flamme. ‘Flamme’ refers to the shape of the blade which has a very distinct profile, not to a literal flame.
Why does a flamberge have a wavy blade?
Wavy blades do accentuate cutting capacity to some degree. Having a wavy blade will make a more effective wound and will cut through flesh essentially more effectively. The disadvantage is that they are more prone to get stuck, which can potentially lead to more blood loss if the wavy blade is not removed immediately.
As a matter of fact, the flamberge was designed to be effective against heavy cavalry, which was the primary method of deployment of heavy shock infantry during the era of flamberge usage. The flamberge was capable of penetrating the mail armor of the heavy cavalry because of its serrated blade.
The reason why I am mentioning this is because the wavy shape of the blade is not just for looks or aesthetics, it is actually functional. You can use it to your advantage. As for aesthetics, there are no real advantages to having a wavy blade.
I recommend using the flamberge over a straight blade if you are going for a traumatic experience for your opponent and want him to survive. He will definitely have nightmares every night!
Additionally, serrated or wavy blades are more likely to get through the armor of your opponent as you pull the blade back to you once it penetrates it in such a manner like you would be sawing. These blades are not as easy to control as a straight blade because they will tend to wobble as you try to pull it back towards you.
The wobble of these blades can also cause it to lose its grip on your opponent’s flesh and could cause it to penetrate more than intended (which can be a good thing!). The wavy blade is generally a more powerful weapon than a straight blade, especially when used against light armor. They are often used for finishing off opponents with armor or other types of protection. It is important to use these blades in the right situations as they can easily become stuck if you are not careful.
You can attempt to counter this by holding the blade in an extended position and then pulling it back towards you. However, you need to be careful not to get too close to your opponent as you pull the blade back because it will be easier for them to disarm you. If you do not have a strong enough grip on the handle, it can be easy for your opponent to simply grab the blade and pull it away from you. There is also another disadvantage to using a wavy or serrated blade; they are more difficult to remove from the wound after the initial penetration has been achieved. Serrated or wavy blades may make the wound more difficult to close up. This is because you are cutting through the layers of skin, muscle and tissue which makes it harder to get a good seal. In addition to this, you are also cutting through the tendons and nerves which can make it difficult to close the wound.
How does the wavy blade of a flamberge affect performance?
The shape of a sword’s blade can have a significant impact on the sword’s effectiveness. Swords are generally designed to be used with a flat blade, but blades that are too thick or too thin for their intended use are often discarded. A very thick blade may be difficult to hold and control when in motion, while a very thin blade may not provide sufficient stopping power. Many swords are made to be used with a relatively flat blade.
The blade is designed to be held at a certain angle with respect to the handle, such that the blade can be more easily moved in a desired direction. The angle of the blade with respect to the handle can also be adjusted to suit the user’s needs. For example, some swords are designed to be used with a “low” angle of attack, while others are designed to be used with a “high” angle of attack. The angle of attack can vary based on the user’s needs.
There are two ways where wavy blades can increase the cutting capacity of a sword, namely: if you are simply striking, you are concentrating the force into the smaller area of the blade. With a straight blade, this would make the sword more likely to break, but the wavy blade will spread the force out over a wider area, causing less stress on the blade. The second way is that the wavy blade will cut deeper into the target due to the vibrations it is causing.
Conversely, a wavy blade has been found to have a lower stress concentration factor, which means that the stress is distributed over a greater area, and therefore the blade is less likely to break. Rather than having a long, curved, or straight blade, it’s actually concentrating into smaller nodes and therefore increasing the force applied on those nodes. Another way is the terrifying effect once you hit someone with a wavy blade with a thrust, which gives an undulation effect. This means that the blade is biting and chewing into whatever it is going through. When the blade is wavy and the vibrations cause the target to vibrate and shake, the blade is no longer cutting, but is instead sawing through the target. When the wavy blade is used in a sawing motion, it will dig deeper into the target, causing more damage. The wavy blade strips the target away from the blade and hence cuts deeper. From a purely practical perspective, a wavy blade will be less likely to break when cutting through materials. This is because the stress on the blade is distributed across a larger area. It’s also more likely that the wavy shape will help keep the blade from bending.
The wavy blade will cause a greater amount of friction on the blade, making it more difficult for the user to pull away. In reality, all of these things happen to a lesser or greater degree, depending on the blade and the target.
The longer the blade, the higher the risk of reducing its serviceable life. When the blade is long, the vibrations are going to be more extreme and so, more stress is placed on the blade (even if it’s evenly distributed across the smaller nodes). If the blade is short, then there is less of a chance of reducing its lifespan due to the fact that the vibrations are not so strong. In this case, a long, curved or straight blade may actually be a better option as it is easier to control the movements and apply the force with a straight or curved blade. However, in that situation, you should be using a wavy blade to help you saw through the target. Wavy blades do give some of the advantages of curve blades, and they do are definitely designed to increase cutting potential, but not always cutting in the same way.
In terms of training, I would recommend practicing with a wavy blade because it will give you a good feel for what it’s like to use a wavy blade to cut through targets. The other benefit of using a wavy blade is that it will allow you to see where the nodes are, which can help you learn how to use the blade properly.
Why flamberge was not more common across history throughout the world?
If they are more effective in cutting, why weren’t flamberge more common? Because It makes carrying or sheathing the blade more difficult. You can make a large wooden scabbard that will accommodate a short flamberge sword, but if you have something like a two-handed longsword with a flamberge edge, it can be problematic in terms of getting it in and out of its sheath. In addition, you’re most likely to have a damaged scabbard each and every time and will have to replace it more often because of the nature of its wavy blade.
Another reason is that it’s difficult to make and maintain a sword with a flamberge edge. A wavy blade takes a huge amount of effort to make. Getting edge geometry correct on just a straight or simple curved blade is difficult enough, but getting it right on the blade which is undulating is even more difficult. But remember, you’ve got to maintain it as well so every time it gets any kind of edge damage you’ve got to refinish and resharpen those edges.
So, if you’re going to use a flamberge edge on your sword, you have to make sure that you get it right and you have to be careful that you don’t damage it too much.
Meanwhile, a straight edge has a much easier time of doing that. There’s a lot of practical reasons why a straight edged sword would be better. There are other reasons like aesthetics, but those are not a big deal for most people who have swords, although they can be very important to some. Further, if you look at the Middle Ages, and earlier, you can see curved or wavy swords being used. The Japanese Samurai had a curved sword with a straight edge. The Chinese used curved swords with straight edges.
But as I said earlier, they had practical reasons for using a straight edge sword. But there’s a reason that we don’t see them much anymore. In the late medieval period, European swordsmiths began to make their swords very strong so they could cut through armor. So, it was no longer necessary to have a wavy or curved sword. It was just unnecessary because you could get the same results with a straight edge. Not to mention the fact of the possibility of a wavy blade getting stuck into an armor due to its serrated design. Besides, there is no honor copying and using a weapon that is completely identified with your opponent’s culture.
Summary
Flamberge are not like today’s mass-produced items. They were made by craftsmen and it was a very time-consuming process. The process of making flamberge could take months to complete. It was a labor of love.
The flamberge was made by craftsmen, not by machines, and the final product was absolutely beautiful, so it didn’t fit the mentality of mass-production. Most flamberge were made by specialists, not by workshops. Although this may be true, I am not sure about the quality of flamberge today. I’m a bit skeptical about that because there are many people who claim to make flamberge and I don’t think it’s an easy thing to do. There are many things that need to be done correctly, especially with the material. If you don’t know what you’re doing, then it can be a disaster.
So, you have to be very careful with the material and the process, and the people that work for you. It’s a different kind of process than just throwing it into a mold and then you get the result, either good or bad.