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Blade - The Overlord of Weapons
The first blade appeared during the Stone Age, so as the name suggested, it was made from stone. When Chinese society entered Bronze Age (21C B.C. - 5C B.C.), bronze-blades became easier to make and were mainly used by butchers, or some rich people's self-defense. Due to the traditional norms at that period, royal families and nobles preferred swords, so the quality of blades were normally poor and few to be used in battlefields. Much later, during Qin and Han Dynasties (221 B.C. - 220 A.D.), iron and steel weapons began being made. Due to the development of cavalry and its speedy wallop, blades were found to be more suitable for this new military force. The most popular weapon at that time was Huan-shou Dao (Ring-headed Blade). Its back was thicker than its edge, which could yield more chopping power if used by two hands.
The time passed to the North & South period (420 A.D. - 589 A.D.), which was extremely chaotic and bloody. During these 169 years, cavalry became as important as infantry, and most blades became curved to better fit the requirement of cavalry forces. Curved blades perfectly fitted the balance of hardness and toughness.
Ming Dynasty (1368 A.D. - 1683 A.D.) was a rich, strong, but unstable period. Since the middle age of this dynasty, invasion of Japanese pirates forced the royal court to learn from the Samurais by paying both money and blood in order to improve the weapons. Finally, sabers became more and more popular and formally equipped with the armies.
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