A while ago I got the task of refitting a training sword. It is what is called a dussack or a cutlass. The owner found it to heavy to safely use for training. so he wanted me to slim down the blade. I was given very specific instruction regarding weigth and point of balance but otherwise I could do as i pleased.
Taking apart a sword and completely refitting it is a big task, and I was on a limited budget so i decided to try and see if I could get away with fixing it without ruining the tempering. I very carefully cut away parts of the blade without getting it too hot(keeping it below 200 degrees celsius) and then I polished it up to a satin finish. I welded on a small piece to make more of a crossguard and I added a small pommellike piece of metal to make sure the weight distibution was just right. It turned out very nice I think. and the customer was happy with it.
Unfortunately the small welded part didnt hold up to sparring so it broke and a small repair was necessary to make sure there was no jagged edge left.
This kind of weapon is used in what is called Historical European martial arts or HEMA for short. I practice this art myself and might post some stuff about that in the future if anyone is interested
