[a. OF. souage, -aige, later and mod.F. suage. See also SWEDGE.]
1. An ornamental grooving, molding, border or mount on a candlestick, basin or other vessel.
1374. Acc. John de Sleford (Acc. Exch. K. R. 397/10), m. 2 (Publ. Rec. Off.). Pro duobus paribus legherneys plauntez cum swages de laton’ deauratis.
1399. (May 29) Chancery Warrants, Ser. I. File 601. No. 1891. [Six white silver salt-cellars, gilt on the] swages.
1513. in Archaeologia, LVI. 333. A bason of syluer all playn the swages gilt. Ibid., 335. A litle candelsticke of siluer, swages gilt wt a nose. Ibid. (1517), LXI. 86. ij nowe chalices with vernacles in the patene the swages of the patens overgilt.
1539. in W. Herbert, Hist. 12 Gt. Livery Comp. Lond. (1836), II. 196. The said Rob’t disceytfully dyd sette swags for feyt [feet] to the same pecys [of silver].
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. xiv. (Roxb.), 4/1. The fillet or swage, is that ring or edge which is on the outside ye brime [of a dish].
1739. Act 12 Geo. II., c. 26 § 6. Any Sorts of Tippings or Swages on Stone or Ivory Cases.
b. A circular or semicircular depression or groove, as on an anvil (cf. swage-anvil in 2 b attrib.)
1680. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., xi. 196. The Point cuts a fine Hollow Circle or Swage in the Flat of the Board.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 308/2. In the face of this kinde of Anvil are smal halfe round nicks, which are termed Swages.
2. † a. = GAUGE sb. 11. Obs.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 366/2. A … Joyners Gage (of some termed a Swage).
b. A tool for bending cold metal (or molding potter’s clay) to the required shape; also, a die or stamp for shaping metal on an anvil, in a press, etc.
1812. P. Nicholson, Mech. Exerc., Smithing, 353. Swages, all instruments used to give the form or contour of any moulding, &c. used in the same manner as the rounding tool.
1831. J. Holland, Manuf. Metal, I. ix. 147. The sides of the metal are then bent up with swages in the usual way, so as to bring the two edges as close together as possible.
1832. Babbage, Econ. Manuf., xi. 69. The smith … has small blocks of steel into which are sunk cavities of various shapes; these are called swages, and are generally in pairs. Thus if he wants a round bolt, terminating in a cylindrical head of larger diameter,… he uses a corresponding swaging-tool.
1834–6. Encycl. Metrop., VIII. 454/1. (Pottery) With … finger and thumb,… or with his fingers only, he gives the first rude form to the vessel, and by a swage, rib, or other utensil,… smooths the inside.
1839. Ure, Dict. Arts, 379. In order to make the bolster of a given size,… it is introduced into a die, and a swage placed upon it.
1883. Crane, Smithy & Forge, 30. Swages … consist of tools having certain definite shapes, so that the hot iron, being placed in or below them, takes their shape when struck.
attrib. 1843. Holtzapffel, Turning, I. 225. A swage-tool five feet long worked by machinery. Ibid., 231. The holes in the swage block … are used after the manner of heading tools for large objects. Ibid., 427. The metal may be gradually reduced by one pair of swage-bits.
1854. Miss Baker, Northampt. Gloss., Swage, to work iron in a groove, or into any particular form. The anvil employed for this purpose is called a swage-anvil.
1869. Rankine, Machine & Hand-tools, Pl. P 9. The swage-hammer.
