095r - - - - - 095r - - - - - [continued]
The furbisher buys his blades by the dozen which are not finished, but ready to be pulled from their sheaths since he does this himself in order to add them well at the pommels and guards.
Spanish swords are esteemed to be better for they are of better steel and iron but they are not as well—forged as Vienna swords, in Dauphiné. The Spanish ones are not as well sharpened from the forge since they sharpen them with their feet and this is what makes them wavy.
Vienna blades cost commonly Xviii or 19 lb.
The first thing the furbisher does to his new blades is to draw them out from the sheath, which he does himself or has it done by locksmiths or blacksmiths to whom he gives some liart for their charcoal. Afterwards they pass it over a grindstone to cut it down. Then they lay it down on the chameau, and with some powdered emery, fine and soft as flour, and soaked with oil to make it take, they polish the sword with the stick used to take off the tracks left by the grindstone and then they clean the blade well with the emery. And they add a drop or two of oil spread with the finger to give it luster. Once the oil is applied, they polish it again on the chameau with the “felin” which is a thunderstone mounted on the middle of a stick like the “fustée.” And this stick is called the “felindel” stick. Once they used the “felin,” they polish it again with some chalk and the oil already on the sword. After they follow this and going over it again, they polish it with dry chalk. Finally when they are finished with mounting of the pommel and guard, they give it a sharp edge with a file. They then dry it and sharpen it and furbish it again with some dry chalk. At the end when they are completed and mounted, they give it the blade a sharp edge with a grater.
They are polished on a false mounting with the guards which are present in order to find out if they work well together. And employing a blade of the sort of which all the sizes should be made in the hand, one conjectures whether it will be as strong when mounted.
One puts the blade in a vice between two pieces of wood, then with a file, they enlarge it if needed for attaching the guard. Then to clench it, one positions the place to be riveted and the pommel on a piece of wood. And with a hammer, one beats on the top to make it very level and to secure the pommel. Then with the hammer, one finishes the rivet when the hammer is well secured and does not shake. The wood is placed so as not to put gashes in the pommel. Afterwards one makes a place for the rivet with a file or chisel. And some make the rivet or attachment in a diamond—shape but this is not as good as a round topped one because one cuts oneself on the corner of the rivet.
[continued]