"DrollTroll" (clip) I would have thought some exotic-type brazing or welding
would be required
for reliable strength. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Welding a stranded cable would be virtually impossible. Brazing or silver
soldering, if done very carefully in a temperature controlled oven, might
work. If done by me, with a torch, the filler metal doesn't properly wet
all the strands, and the outer strands get so hot the strength is shot.

Swaging or "crimping," or whatever you want to call it, works because the
length of the collar has made long enough to to match or exceed the strength
of the cable itself.