Posts: 630 Location: Tucson
Sun 08 Feb, 2009 11:05 am
Customized DT5152
I am nearing completion on my customized Del Tin 5152. I really like this particular blade and of all of the Del Tins I have owned, this one is very nicely balanced. Its a large blade - 40 inches long, total length is 50 inches, 2 inches wide at the hilt, POB 8 inches COP at 26 inches but weighs "only" 1846 g. The blade is 16th c., and does not really fit within the
Oakeshott classes, it is a wide thin blade with a hexagonal section (a bit like Type XIX), but with a very wide flat down the center. The DTs come unsharpened but in this case I had Art sharpen it and this works well on this particular DT sword because of the blade cross section; the edge blends nicely with the blade's bevel. In fact I have to be careful honing this edge because if I am not careful I will scrape up the bevel with the stone. The blade finish is really top notch and a great deal for such a large sword, The blade has good temper and I would guess the edge to be in the mid 50s for hardness. Sure takes a nice edge...........
I stripped the Venetian styled hilt with the type Z pommel and sent the blade to Scott Wilson at Darkwood who built a rennaissance styled hilt for me which is loosely based on a sketch by Sir John Lundin of a gaelic slaughtersword, or large claymore/zweihander, and which is also similar to the hilt on the sword housed at the Wallace monument near Stirling. Scott, as usual, did a great job!
This sword goes through tatami mats like a hot knife through butter thanks to its relatively flat profile. Once in motion it seems to pull itself right through a cut. Blade does sag a little in the last 8 inches or so when held horizontal as it is flexible, wide, and thin. Given the length and the
profile tapers (it is still 1.75 inches wide at the COP) it is definitely a two handed sword but in two hands it is easy to keep aligned for big sweeping motion cuts. The hilt also provides lots of ways to grip the sword for halfswording type thrusts and for making parries.
As always all comments welcome. tr