Migration and Viking period blades tend to have subtle distal tapers, but it is still rare to find blades without this. The fact that it is mild should not be taken that it is unimportant. As a rule these blades taper both in width and thickness and it is worthwhile to spend some time to note just how they do this. The effect may be surprising. There is very little published on distal tapers. The info you find on the net is mostly inferred from ideas of what swords *should* be rather than f