Re: Kickboxing Cassowary

[Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au>]

Quoting Augusto Haro <augustoharo@gmail.com>:

> Why would sickle-claws not to be cutting for defense? A cutting border
> might help penetration.

I sincerely doubt that keratin can hold much of a cutting edge. Even if it 
could to begin with, it'd be 
very difficult to maintain the edge for any length of time.

The same is true of bronze or copper weapons. They hold a point well enough, 
and are good as 
spear heads or stabbing swords (for a while at least), but their slashing 
capabilities are limited (or 
at the very least, limited to just one good slash). A bronze sickle-sword would 
have done as much 
bludgening as slashing damage. It's thought that the word 'smite' originated 
from their use in battle 
(not quite a slash, not quite a heavy blow, but a little bit of both).

-- 
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Dann Pigdon
GIS / Archaeologist              http://geo_cities.com/dannsdinosaurs
Melbourne, Australia             http://heretichides.soffiles.com
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