The shape of the grip in the regulation infantry sword is not bad
generally, but the metal back is unnecessary, and is apt to cause the
hand to slip.
The grip of Japanese swords, but for the fact of their having the curve
presented the wrong way, strikes me as exceedingly good.
Were I having a fighting sword made to my own fancy, without regard to
the regulation of any service, I should direct it to be made with a grip
of shark’s skin or leather, with a strong twist of wire wound round at
half-inch intervals, as in the regulation pattern, but continued all the
way round without any metal back.
The pommel should be considerably heavier than is customary, and the
shell (and I consider this the most important thing) should be of a
pattern differing materially from that in common use.
The present form of shell is carried out into a tolerably bold curve on
the outer side, no doubt for the purpose of covering the knuckles and
arm, which, in a right-handed man, are exposed on this side, while on
the reverse side the shell does not project to quite half the same
extent.
The consequence of this arrangement is that the greater weight on the
outside tends to throw over, I mean, to make the wrist rotate from left
to right as it does in attacks on the inner line, and to make rotation
correspondingly difficult on the outer line, that is, from right to
left.
Now, it may be regarded as proved that attacks on the inner line,
although very effective, expose the swordsman more than those delivered
at the outside of his adversary’s body, consequently the tendency to
which I have referred cannot but be considered a vicious one. Again, it
may happen that the swordsman is disabled by a flesh wound sufficiently
grave to incapacitate his sword arm, but not of such severity as to
prevent his continuing in action should he have learned to use his left.
If he then pass his sword into his left hand, he will find that the
shell, as at present formed, offers a most inadequate protection to the
hand and arm, which would not be the case if the projections were equal
on both sides.
The Scotch basket hilt, with some modifications, so as to give freer
play to hand and wrist, is not a bad pattern.
There should be little or no open work about the shell: an unlucky
thrust or cut with the point might disable your hand.
I would also recommend that that part of the shell which comes into
contact with the point of the thumb where it rests on the back of the
grip should be lightly padded with a few thicknesses of soft leather, so
as to lessen the concussion, which is sometimes of sufficient force to
loosen your hold of the sword grip, or at all events to impair that
nicety of touch upon which successful swordsmanship in a high degree
depends.
Before leaving this subject, I should like to remark that, although the
grip of the regulation sword is not so faulty as its shell, yet it
appears to me capable of improvement.
The back of the grip is convex throughout its length, an arrangement
which, when the thumb is pressed upon it, as it should be in the use of
a light sabre, does not give so good a hold as one presenting in the
lower part a concavity into which shall fit the convex surface of the
extended thumb. I have in my possession a pair of practice sabres made
upon this principle, and also with a squarer grip than is customary,
which are delightful to handle.