[antir-heralds] Pointing a sword (was: style & conflict check - Sable, a katana...)

[Britt]

I was asked why a katana fesswise, point to dexter, would be blazoned
a 'katana fesswise inverted'.  I forgot to ask the inquirer about
reposting so I've stripped the questions down to bare bones and
they're unattributed and rather generic now.

Since the whole orientation caused me pause I figured it'd be useful
to share how I figured it out for others' use as well.  The PicDic was
a huge time-saver, since single-edge blades are rare in period armory
and the SCA hasn't always gotten their orientation right in the past
nor can you trust the person who put the emblazon for online display
knew all the nuances of direction, either.

> Wouldn't a fesswise sword be point to dexter?

http://heraldry.sca.org/heraldry/coagloss.html#default
Sword: palewise, point to chief
Rotate it to fesswise and what usually points to chief now points to
dexter.  So yes.

> Also, since a katana has a "business edge," wouldn't that cutting edge
> go to the "honorable direction"? In the case of a fesswise single-edged
> sword, wouldn't that be towards the chief?

No. :)  This is where I got all confuzzled as well.  I pulled out my
Pictorial Dictionary of Heraldry (PicDic) to look at the curved swords
andxsure enough, when palewise their cutting edges were to dexter.
Rotate these guys to point to dexter and the cutting edge aims down.
Therefore, if the cutting edge of a single-edged blade is to chief,
the thing's inverted.

> So, wouldn't a fesswise katana default to edge-up, point to dexter?

Nope, it'd default to point to dexter with edge down.

> Which would make this submission a katana revered, but not inverted?

Fesswise point to sinister, edge down.

- Teceangl