[LexBaird]

A real Viking always parried with the flat and never with the edge.

Interesting. How do you come to that conclusion, considering the lack of source material other than sagas and eddas?

[Little Bill]

There are many Web Sites on Medieval Fencing on the web, you might want to take a look at them.

Diehard seems to be into smithery, so he can correct me as needed.

All swords were of pattern welded construction, strips of hammer welded Iron, the Iron forged in a weave of sorts, it was edged with Steel also forged on.

These were slashing swords with rounded points similar to the Roman Spatha. They were very, very, very expensive. The Iron gave shock absorbance, the steel a cutting edge.

The weak point was the steel edge. If you took a hit wrong a big chunk was missing or at worse the blow cut through the Iron and you eventually you.

[odinviking]

The edge of a viking sword was a piece of steal welded to a pattern welded body. striking blade to blade would destroy the sword via a chip going back to the core. Why dont you test it out, take two knives and strike them lighty together. The knicks never leave the blade with normal sharpening.