Crossbowmen's Dao was the standard side arm for Ming's crossbow units, carried by strapping underneath the waist band. The length of the dao was designed to not interfering with the crossbow, which was also carried strap by the waist.
Crossbowmen's Dao was a handy and versatile weapon primarily for double hand use but could also be weld single handed.
Specifications
Sword only weight: approx. 1500 g (3 lb. 4.9 oz)
Blade length approx. 86.0 cm (33.89")
Handle length approx. 34.0 cm (13.39")
Total length approx. 120.0 cm (47.24")
POB from hilt: 10 cm (3.94")
Blade thickness
at base: 9.0 mm
near tip: 3.5mm
Blade width
at base: 35.0 mm
near tip: 24.0 mm
Steel option 1
Folded pattern steel:
1060 carbon steel + T8 tungsten-vanadium high-speed tool steel
1060 carbon steel
Element %
Carbon 0.55-0.660
Manganese 0.60-0.90
Phosphorus <=0.040
Sulfur <=0.050
T8 tungsten-vanadium high-speed tool steel
Element %
Carbon 0.75-0.84
Silicon <=0.35
Manganese <=0.40
Phosphorus <=0.035
Sulfur <=0.030
Tungsten <= 0.30
Vanadium <= 0.02
Chromium <=0.25
Nickel <=0.20
Copper <=0.25
Molybdenum <= 0.20
Steel option 2
GB 60Si2MnA High Carbon Manganese Spring Steel
(Comparable to AISI/SAE 5160 spring steel)
Element % 60Si2MnA AISI/SAE 5160
Carbon 0.56-0.64 0.56-0.61
Silicon 1.60-2.00 0.15-0.35
Manganese 0.60-0.90 0.75-1.00
Phosphorus <=0.030 <=0.035
Sulfur <=0.030 <=0.040
Chromium <=0.35 0.70-0.90
Nickel <=0.35 <=0.25
Superior heat treatment: Hardness 54-55 HRC.
Through spring tempering with oil quenching.
Fittings
** In Ming and Qing Dynasty, military Dao use Iron as the hand guard material
instead of brass, a softer metal. **
Iron Dragon abstract motif hand guard, 1:1 recreation of a Ming Dynasty specimen.
Iron hilt ferrule and pommel
Scabbard fittings - Blackened brass
Pommel secured by peening.
Striking yellow cord wrapped handle.
Scabbard made with furniture grade Jichimu (Ormosia genus) wrapped with brown "vegan" leather and blacken brass fittings.
Fit and finish
We perfected the fit and finish of our swords and the assembly is meticulously performed by our senior craft masters. It takes one whole working day for a craftsman to assemble our swords.
Sword Dynamics is first conceived by Peter Johnsson to objectively record the dynamics properties of medieval swords he encountered.
To learn how to interpret the Sword Dynamics Graph, click here!
Sword Dynamics was implemented by applied mathematician Dr. Vincent Le Chevalier as a free Weapons Dynamics Computer.
To learn how to measure basic data for the Weapons Dynamics Computer click here!
Phillip Martin of the Phoenix Society, Arizona USA
Master Dante Basili, Meldola Italy
Korean military martial arts preserved the Ming Dynasty long saber skills [1:56]
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