Chinese Swords - The Jian

A Blade Fit for a King

Li Qiang worked tirelessly to craft the mold. He was an expert Bronze worker and no stranger to sword-making, but this sword was for the king. And not just any king, but King Ghoujin, he who had not only turned the country around through political reforms devised by his astute advisers, but he who had also suffered 3 years as a slave to King Fuchai of Wu and would soon be going back, as leader of the glorious Yue army, to have his revenge.

So Qiang worked for several days straight. He constantly created new molds - experimenting with different lengths and thicknesses, as well as where to put holes for outgassing so the rising bubbles from the hot copper wouldn’t harm the resulting blade. He tried different mixtures of copper and tin - while copper alone is flexible and soft, the addition of tin makes it harder but more prone to shattering. He even added a minute amount of sulfur, so when it came time to inscribe the blade, the inscriptions wouldn’t tarnish with time.

Finally, one day, he had it: a straight, double-sided blade. Coloured like gold, true and hard, a gift fit for a king. A true Jian. All it needed now was the inscription. Tomorrow, Qiang would take it to a colleague who would inscribe the words “King Ghoujin’s personal sword”.

Featured Sword: Jian

Chinese swords are divided into two types: the Jian and the Dao. They were both considered one of the Five Weapons - along with the spear, halberd, and staff.

Swords of the Jian type are double-edged and straight. Originally descended from daggers, they were the first type of sword in China. Because of the poor swordsmithing techniques available at the time, they were not considered very reliable as they tended to break easily - not desired behaviour in a weapon one’s life depends upon. They were also hard to use, requiring much training to become proficient. Thus, when the Dao came along, they were quickly supplanted. Needless to say, with modern swordsmithing, Jian swords are much more reliable, though they still require training to use effectively.

The Sword of Ghoujin

The bronze sword made by Li Qang is known as the famous “Sword Of Ghoujin”, one of the earliest examples of a bronze sword from ancient China. What makes the blade so wondrous is that, 2500 years after its inception, it is still in pristine condition with almost no tarnish. This is made even more incredible by the fact that it was found in a damp tomb. The only damage to the sword was caused after it was found and being displayed abroad, sadly, by a worker who managed to bang the blade against a hard surface while unsheathing it, which caused a small crack on the blade. In response to this, the Chinese government has banned it from leaving the country, and it can be seen only in the Hubei Provincial Museum in Wuhan.

Fun Facts

Jian swords often have tassels. While today they are mainly used decoratively or to change the balance of a sword, there is speculation that in the past they could have been used from such mundane uses as making it easier to hold onto the sword, to offensive uses including blinding or injuring opponents (using metal inserted into the tassel).

Etymology

Jian (traditional: 劍, simplified: 剑, 4th tone) is a Chinese word that originally described Jian-type swords, though in modern usage it has expanded to also mean “double-edged sword” or even swords in general.

Further Reading

If you liked this post and would like to learn about the Jian's sister sword, please check out post Chinese Swords - The Dao.

If you are interested in learning more about the history of both sword types, as well as Chinese swordsmithing in general, please check out our post Chinese Swordsmithing - A Rediscovered Treasure.

See our Jian Swords

source https://www.bladespro.co.uk/blogs/news/chinese-swords-jian

Chinese Swords - The Dao

A Wicked Blade for a Foreign Horseman

Mahmut Sabri was a member of the Tang dynasty's cavalry corps.  Recruited because of his height, skill with a horse, and ability to accurately use a weapon while riding at high speeds, his job was to go into battle ahead of the main army and soften up the enemy.  As were many of the cavalry, he was Uighur, not Han Chinese.  This was because the Han were not as skilled with horses, but recognised the strong force multiplier cavalry were to any army, so they bolstered their ranks with foreigners.

While his horse was his own, he had recently been given a Chinese blade.   Chinese swordsmithing was second to none in the region, and this sword - called a Dao, was easy to use, especially for cavalry.  Sharp on one side and slightly curved, it was a mean blade, made to cut into infantry and lay waste.  Mahmut looked forward to using it in the coming battle.

Featured Sword: Dao

Chinese swords are divided into two types: the Jian and the Dao. They were both considered one of the Five Weapons - along with the spear, halberd, and staff.

Dao swords are single-edged and usually curved. They were created as swordsmithing advanced, and it was discovered that dulling one of the sides of the Jian and thickening it would increase its reliability. As Japanese swordsmiths received much of their early swordsmithing knowledge from China, some people say that the Dao influenced the Japanese toward making their renowned Katana and Wakizashi. Because of its relative ease of use compared to the Jian, the Dao quickly became a favourite in battle, and the Jian fell out of favour except by officials and experts.

Laying Waste

Mahmut rode into battle, skillfully jumping over small creeks, avoiding caltrops, and cutting into the infantry around him.  A few tried to stab at him with spears, but they either missed or struck the light armour on the horse.  He laughed and swung his Dao, the sharp edge easily cutting through his target, the reinforced spine absorbing the shock, then springing back into shape, ready for the next cut.  The reliability and ease of use of the Dao amazed him, and he smiled again as he neared his next target.

Fun Facts

Even though Dao swords are single-edged, they will sometimes have a few centimeters of the spine sharpened to aid in thrusts. Also, they are considered much easier to learn - it was once said “it takes a week to learn a dao, a month to learn a qiang (spear), and a year to learn a jian!”

Etymology

Dao (traditional & simplified: 刀, 1st tone) is a Chinese word that originally meant “knife”, though it later expanded to include the meaning of “knife money” (a type of old currency) and, more recently, the “US dollar.”

Further Reading

If you liked this post and would like to learn about the Dao's sister sword, please check out post Chinese Swords - The Jian.

If you are interested in learning more about the history of both sword types, as well as Chinese swordsmithing in general, please check out our post Chinese Swordsmithing - A Rediscovered Treasure.

See our Dao Swords

source https://www.bladespro.co.uk/blogs/news/chinese-swords-dao