The term ‘swage’ originates from the 19th Century, and is derived from the Old French ‘souage’, meaning ‘decorative groove’. In the present day, it has come to be used as both a noun (describing a section of pipe of smaller or larger diameter than the main body of the pipe), and a verb (‘to swage’ is to alter the diameter of a section of pipe).
The first known swaging tools took the form of dies into which ‘cut out’ shapes were forged; heated metal was then forced into the shapes in the die to create small pieces which were too delicate for forging with the usual blacksmith’s hammer. This type of swaging tool is sometimes used by traditional blacksmiths today, and is called a ‘swage block’.
Very early swaging tools called ‘fullers’ were also used by bladesmiths – tradesmen whose speciality was the manufacture of swords and knives – to form the central groove often seen on the blade of a weapon. This is probably the reason for the adoption of the term ‘swage’ from the original French ‘souage’.
The groove in a blade prevented the weapon from becoming stuck during use in battle.
What is the origin of tubular piping?
The earliest primitive pipes were made by boring large holes, lengthwise, through the centres of logs.
Later wooden pipes were constructed with staves and hoops, in the same way as wooden barrels.
In the early days of the US, redwood pipes continued to be used in very rural and exposed areas as opposed to metal, and, in some very rare cases, still are!
This is because wood provided better insulation against freezing temperatures than the metals available at the time, and redwoods especially have natural properties that protect them from weathering, insect infestation and corrosion.
In fact, wooden piping was used in London and elsewhere in the UK until the 17th century! In London, wooden pipe sections were sealed together using hot animal fat.
However, with the development of iron forging techniques and later advancements in metal casting and the manufacture of economic, durable alloys such as steel, metal pipes soon replaced wooden piping in most of the world.
Wonkee’s bonus fact
You may have heard that during the Roman era, dangerous lead pipes were in widespread use, as people had not yet come to understand the health effects of lead ingestion.
This is true – but what you may not have heard is that while the use of lead piping led to many cases of lead poisoning where Roman settlers installed plumbing systems outside Rome …
… inside Rome, very few health effects were seen, thanks to the high level of calcium in Roman water, which formed a natural protective layer over the inside edges of lead pipes, preventing lead particles from entering the water supply.
