094r - - - - - Burnisher
The different parts of a sword are the handle, and the sheath of the sword. What comes next is the heel. The rest is the blade. The sides are the edge and the point. Certain blades, acute in point, have only one side filed in the middle & along the whole length, and are easy to break. Other blades are called of three molds or three grips, which have one good rise in the middle, but this elevation is flat as if it were acute in point but flattened. These ones are most certain. Others are called fluted, which are notched from the middle, & when it is along the whole length, they are just as easy to break as those acute in point and are more troublesome to burnish because the burnishing stick can’t get in. But they make one specially that is narrow.
Making up the hilt of the sword are the pommel, the branches of the hilt and the cross—guard, which is this iron strip that closes off the guard and that is at the end of the heel to stop thrusts from sliding down the hilt. The rings are these two branches in half round that start from the eye of the guard and go all the way to the branch of the cross—guard. The branch that crosses the hilt is called the body and this escutcheon, by which the sword enters the sheath and to which all the branches return, and which holds them, is called the eye of the guard.
Following is the wood of the grip which one glues or more fittingly uses some mingled wax which is made of wax and pitch, for rosin would be too hard. He heats it lightly, then rubs the wood of the grip so that the tang takes hold, or the threads, otherwise, when a thread frays off, the whole thing will break all at once. With iron thread or dog skin, one also uses glue. The trimming set on the wood, which is made of silk or thread, is called the cord, which is made from two or three threads twined on the spinning wheel, or 4 if the silk is thin. A cord a little bigger holds better. The rivements, which are also made of silk at both ends of the grip, are called the buttons.
Some grips are made of silk, seal skin, iron thread reheated with gold and fine and false silver thread & velvet thread. Iron thread is of less price and is most durable. Next is that of silk, if one does not have the convenience of being close to the sea in order to recover some dog skin, which is quite convenient. The good skin costs fifty or lx sous and makes 4 or five dozen grips. This one gives a good grip and a sure hand. To put it to work, if it is too hard, soak it for one or two hours in slightly lukewarm aqua fortis. Because if it were too hot, it would boil and spoil the skin. It is sewn with black thread.
Figure at left middle margin
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