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Sean Flynt
myArmoury Team


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Posted: Wed 03 Jul, 2013 11:02 am Post subject: sword project |
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I haven't gotten much done in the workshop this year, but this piece is coming along.
For this piece, I'm butchering a Windlass "Munich" hilt, making a pommel and mounting on a shortened HT sharp longsword blade. It's quite a monster!
I'm taking inspiration from swords of 1525-1540 but this project isn't meant to be historically accurate. I can't say how I want this to turn out because I don't yet know! I'm making it up as I go. I will try a complex wire binding for the grip, but won't yet commit to that.
The photos below show my progress to date. As of today, I've started turning the rear quillon. I haven't dropped the pommel to its final position because I first need to make sure the guard is where I want it on the blade. Then the pommel can come down another .5-1"
I've often broken Windlass hilts by bending them without sufficient heat. This time I'm really getting the steel up to red everywhere I think it will be stressed. So far, so good.
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-Sean
"Everywhere I have searched for peace and nowhere found it, except in a corner with a book"- Thomas a Kempis (d. 1471)
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Eric W. Norenberg
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Posted: Wed 03 Jul, 2013 5:28 pm Post subject: |
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Hey Sean,
Probably too late, but what if you left enough grip length that you could mount a severely waisted grip, to let you grab the pommel with the off-hand, like some of those 16th C. German bastards we all love ( the ones that often feature type XIX blades).
Not sure how correct that would be with the hilt form. Might be the Trippel talking...
Eric
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Sean Flynt
myArmoury Team


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Posted: Wed 03 Jul, 2013 7:03 pm Post subject: |
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there actually is a single-hand grip like that, but it's pretty distinctive, associated with an ovoid pommel. that reminded of some swords of this period at the musee de l'armee. there are some exciting features to be seen among those, including reeded grips with filets and ferrules. hmmmm....
-Sean
"Everywhere I have searched for peace and nowhere found it, except in a corner with a book"- Thomas a Kempis (d. 1471)
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Eric W. Norenberg
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Posted: Wed 03 Jul, 2013 7:44 pm Post subject: |
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Is that one of your Alchem pommels? Did you cut the fluting yourself? I've found a local steel and iron fence part supplier that has a lot of diameters and weights for iron spheres but one must punch or bore the channel for the tang oneself... Easier said than done in the tuff shed armoury!
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Sean Flynt
myArmoury Team


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Posted: Wed 03 Jul, 2013 7:51 pm Post subject: |
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yes, that's an Alchem ball that I filed. those come with a narrow drill about halfway through, which is a handy pilot hole, easily opened and extended with a hand drill and proper bit.
-Sean
"Everywhere I have searched for peace and nowhere found it, except in a corner with a book"- Thomas a Kempis (d. 1471)
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Sean Flynt
myArmoury Team


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Posted: Tue 27 Aug, 2013 2:22 pm Post subject: |
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I haven't made much progress on this or anything else this summer, but I have a rough and bulky rectangular-section grip that still needs some reducing and refining, if not reshaping to oval section. Just needed it to be a right length at this point, so I could finish adjusting the hilt. I have some black rayskin that might look nice on that, but I'll have to see how the blued hilt looks before I commit to using that premium material.
The guard is mostly fitted to the blade now, and it has its rough shape. The rear quillon needs some work--a more gradual curve, perhaps. Still a bit of material to remove and refine, but it's creeping closer. Maybe I'll finish by Halloween.
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-Sean
"Everywhere I have searched for peace and nowhere found it, except in a corner with a book"- Thomas a Kempis (d. 1471)
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Kai Lawson

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Posted: Tue 27 Aug, 2013 3:18 pm Post subject: |
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I figure you can't swing it, and it's still in a rough condition, but that looks like a handful of a sword. How does it feel statically? Would it be a jack of all trades fencer, or maybe more of a stab and slice battlefield weapon?
Looks great, by the way. I've never wanted to try something like that until now...
"And they crossed swords."
--William Goldman, alias S. Morgenstern
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Boris Bedrosov
Industry Professional

Location: Bourgas, Bulgaria Joined: 06 Nov 2005
Posts: 700
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Posted: Tue 27 Aug, 2013 3:32 pm Post subject: |
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Great-looking guard - one of my most favourite forms.
This reminds me I'll do something similar soon.
Anyway, I'm waiting to see the finished result.
"Everyone who has the right to wear a long sword, has to remember that his sword is his soul,
and he has to separate from it when he separates from his life"
Tokugawa Ieyasu
Find my works on Facebook:
Boris Bedrosov's Armoury
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Sean Flynt
myArmoury Team


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Posted: Tue 27 Aug, 2013 4:13 pm Post subject: |
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the HT longsword blades are very light--thick in upper third and tang, but with distal taper down to a very thin section. I haven't mounted one as a longsword yet, preferring to cut them down for c&t swords. POB on this sword right now is 4.25" below cross and 2.25" below the ring. With the finger around the ricasso as it shod be, it's already a very light and quick sword. Something for the Bolognese school, maybe. It would be fierce with a small buckler.
Although my design is a bit fanciful, I'm still trying to keep my design in the range of 1525-1550.
-Sean
"Everywhere I have searched for peace and nowhere found it, except in a corner with a book"- Thomas a Kempis (d. 1471)
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Julien M

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Posted: Wed 28 Aug, 2013 4:20 am Post subject: |
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Hey Sean,
No time to post much these days, but I'm watching this closely
Daring hilt alterations here, and very promising results so far.
Will you shorten the blade? It seems it could do with a couple of inches less for your intended purpose.
Cheers,
J
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Sean Flynt
myArmoury Team


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Posted: Wed 28 Aug, 2013 6:49 am Post subject: |
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Julien M wrote: | Hey Sean,
No time to post much these days, but I'm watching this closely
Daring hilt alterations here, and very promising results so far.
Will you shorten the blade? It seems it could do with a couple of inches less for your intended purpose.
Cheers,
J |
Ha! If you look closely a few inches above the tip you can see the outline of a proposed blade crop! I'm waiting to see how it feels before I start cutting, but it certainly is a possibility.
I was thinking of you when I bought the shagreen for the grip, Julien. Figured I'd go for the rich stuff since that's okay for the period. Might still choose a complex wire binding, but I'll have to see the finished piece. I'm leaning more toward black hilt, black shagreen, silver tang button.
-Sean
"Everywhere I have searched for peace and nowhere found it, except in a corner with a book"- Thomas a Kempis (d. 1471)
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Sean Flynt
myArmoury Team


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Posted: Wed 28 Aug, 2013 7:05 am Post subject: |
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This gives a better sense of scale. Many (most?) modern complex hilts are too large, so I took care to base my proportions on those seen in historical depictions (including biometrics when possible--it's always great to see the sword in hand or at least near the hand in paintings and drawings). Based on all that, I have a grip of 3 3/8". Even that might be very slightly longer than what I'm seeing, but it matches the width of my fist. My hand fits snugly between cross and pommel, but the grip length is optimized for having the finger around the ricasso. The pommel doesn't interfere with the hand, but there's no unnecessary length in the grip.
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-Sean
"Everywhere I have searched for peace and nowhere found it, except in a corner with a book"- Thomas a Kempis (d. 1471)
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Julien M

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Posted: Fri 27 Sep, 2013 11:17 pm Post subject: |
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Sean Flynt wrote: | I was thinking of you when I bought the shagreen for the grip, Julien. |
This one will definitely deserve it Sean. I really like the flared shoulders combined with the complex hilt - a combination I've only rarely seen (actually this magnificent early XVII century officer rapier is the only example I have in mind). I have to get myself one of these longsword blade (stupidly I did not grab one when they were dirt cheap a few years back).
I can see the mark down the blade above the tip. I think it will work better with a shorten blade indeed.
Looking forward to see progress on this.
J
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Henrik Granlid
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Posted: Sat 28 Sep, 2013 2:05 am Post subject: |
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Amazing work!
Out of curiosity/future reference, how did you get rid of the discolouration on the grip components? Justfine sandpaper and some sscrubbing? (I'm purchasing a helmet that might need weld-reinforcement which would discolour the metal around the weld and I do like myself them mirror finishes)
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Sean Flynt
myArmoury Team


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Posted: Mon 30 Sep, 2013 6:50 am Post subject: |
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Henrik: For simple discoloration due to heat, I'd suggest trying something like this http://www.scotch-brite.com/wps/portal/3M/en_...amp;rt=rud
This will get rid of light stains and give a uniform matte finish that you can then refine with fine steel wool.
-Sean
"Everywhere I have searched for peace and nowhere found it, except in a corner with a book"- Thomas a Kempis (d. 1471)
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Sean Flynt
myArmoury Team


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Posted: Wed 05 Mar, 2014 6:51 pm Post subject: |
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A bit of progress to report on this long, long project. Just blued the hilt to a dark gray. Might want to go darker, but I'll wait to see how the grip and finished blade look with the current finish.
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-Sean
"Everywhere I have searched for peace and nowhere found it, except in a corner with a book"- Thomas a Kempis (d. 1471)
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Kai Lawson

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Posted: Thu 06 Mar, 2014 8:24 am Post subject: |
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I think the grey looks great, and I think it would contrast very well with a black scabbard or with subtle dark fittings. I say leave it--you can always go darker, but it looks quite good as is.
"And they crossed swords."
--William Goldman, alias S. Morgenstern
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Sean Flynt
myArmoury Team


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Posted: Thu 06 Mar, 2014 8:38 am Post subject: |
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Yeah, I think the grey will relieve some of the darkness of grip and scabbard. Thought about a silver nut as well, though I think a flush peen would be more typical of the period I'm (roughly) aiming at.
-Sean
"Everywhere I have searched for peace and nowhere found it, except in a corner with a book"- Thomas a Kempis (d. 1471)
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Radovan Geist
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Posted: Thu 06 Mar, 2014 10:43 pm Post subject: |
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it looks really nice Sean - itīs an inspiring project
did you gray it chemically?
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Sean Flynt
myArmoury Team


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Posted: Fri 07 Mar, 2014 7:05 am Post subject: |
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Thanks! Yes, that's Birchwood-Casey Perma-Blue. It typically requires two applications to get a deep black because you have to carefully polish the piece with fine steel wool after each bluing to even the finish. That makes it lighter than it is immediately after the application.
-Sean
"Everywhere I have searched for peace and nowhere found it, except in a corner with a book"- Thomas a Kempis (d. 1471)
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