He has no idea what he is talking about. Damage on living bodies, without armor, was 0.5 to 1.0 of rated damage, then adding/subtracting bonus items, in every version of M&B up to 1.0x. The armor damage reduction variable was applied after this calculation, where pierce and blunt weapons did reduce the armor value (originally by 50%, adjustable in the config file beyond .890). Types of strikes were added to the bonus item calculation in .890, making the damage numbers read more like .50 to 1.35 of rated damage, depending on the details of the attack.
Initial reports from several sources indicate that this calculation has been changed significantly in Warband.
The "physics" he's talking about IS the formula I need. I mean, really, "35 cut damage" is not a measure of physics - it's an arbitrary value that is plugged into a formula. If the damage was rated like "350 kilograms per square centimeter, on an edge 60 centimeters long and tapering from 30 microns to 1 cm at a 40 degree angle", then maybe "physics" would be the correct term. As it is, I need that formula.