ABS Master Bladesmith Kevin Cashen describes this sword: "The Ricasso (the narrow thick portion of steel before the guard) is not authentic (it began around the 15th century) but something I refuse to part with. In the dark ages and medieval period, before the Catalan forge, steel was a pretty precious comodity and the ricasso is a pretty big cross section of steel that can't be used for cutting. Where it joins the guard and makes the drastic reduction in cross section is potentially the weakest part of a blade. the ricasso thickens this weak area and also provides a space just in front of the guard to slip a finger for more control, if that is your style. My philosophy when borrowing inspiration from the ancients is, to stick to tradition except when I can make a better blade by varying. After all, if the Vikings would have had access to tool steel or salt baths, you can bet they would have used them. they were smart and took a lot of pride in making the best weapons they could. Besides the many other small improvements it makes the design, I really like the way the Riccasso looks."

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