thought i'd share these two:

A couple of hungarian sabres from the maker, V. Berbekucz in hungary.

9th C. Magyar sabre at top, 16 C. Magyar at the bottom.



the top 9C feels balanced the best, the 16C is a bit point heavy.

Hi Wayne, thanks for posting.
Did you also ordered the scabbards for the two swords? VB usually sells them seperately.
Is your version of the 16th c. saber a blunt one? When I had met Viktor he pointed out that his blunt swords are heavier due to more mass of the blade, he leaves a 3mm edge for safety reasons.
I own one of his falchions, check here http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t...+berbekucz ,
it had been bought blunt and I just got it back from sharpening and removing adjacent material off the blade, in order to retain proper blade & edge geometry. The sword lost 200 grams in the process (weight now is 1.450kg) and now balances superbly at 3-1/2".
I believe that with correct feedback Viktor has a great future in swordmaking.

Nice items, Wayne, Sa'ar ...

Allow me to share some of my own scowerings online ...

In my long quest for a maker of a 16th / 17th century Hussar Saber, with
L-hilt and a thumb-ring, I ran across a couple of websites with intereting
offerings and information ...

http://www.bronbiala.pl/marcin.php?PHPSESSID=...f8ba885df1

Here's one pick from their selection of replicas ...



And this one too ...

http://www.polishhussarsupply.com/index.html

And let's not forget my first journey into getting a " Hussar Saber " made :



The end result of that project turned out to be more of a Hungarian / Polish replica from
the 16th / 17th century.

You can see the likeness from a more historical looking replica from the first above
mentioned website :



And then this historical drawing :



Or this one :



I'm honestly fascinated by the evolution of these particular sabers in the Polish, Hungarian,
Russian parts of the world and that time in history. The marvelous curves and yelmen, the
double fullered blades. The advantage the thumb-ring provided a cavalryman in delivering
cuts and controlling his blade. Oddly, though, I haven't been able, or maybe haven't been
diligent enough, in finding a detailed description how a blade like these were made; and
only can assume to some degree how the hilts and grips were constructed by the visual
evidence ...

The thumb-ring was a great invention; of all the original Continental European basket-hilted broadswords and backswords I've handled over the past couple of years, the best-feeling ones had thumb-rings.

Those sabers with thumb-rings look great.

Matthew, these are great additions. After I gave this much thought, the thumb ring does sounds like an improvement, but I must check it hands on. Being left handed (though I can fight not bad at all using my right hand) I wonder if there are any historical sabers with left-handed thumb ring.
I think it very hard to tell between 15th/16th c. Hungarian to Polish sabers (exept documented or signed pieces of course), if possible at all.
The sword of king Stephan Batory looks all buisness, the blade in the drawing have a rather complex cross section.
Check the following pic - this is a Bedouin saber fitted with an unidentified blade, probably a quality copy of a trade blade. Note similarities in deep fullers, curvature and (almost non visible in the pic) a short sharpened false edge.

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It seems only natural that forging a curved blade to a precise arch is more difficult than forging a straight blade. It seems easier to reform geometry flaws in a straight line on an anvil. The heat treatment can cause additional warps and bends.
If I recall correct, the Japanese procedure let the quench do the curvature on its own, therefore no control. The exterior complexity of the east Euopean saber (not to mention its close relatives - the shamshir, palah and kilic) is all done on purpose and must retain its intended shape after the heat treatment.

BTW, I'm not familiar with the term yelmen :blush: , please explain.

Stephen Bathory's saber, and this replica:



are my personal favorites, of the sabers shown here.



BTW, what is the yelmen? Does this refer to the false/back edge?

While we await an answer regarding the term yelmen, behold this another complexed saber blade, this time fitted into a Gruzinska, Georgian sword.
http://www.oriental-arms.co.il/photos.php?id=3397

You are correct, a yelmen is the raised back edge of the saber.

Jeff[/i]

With (traditional) Japanese swords there is some adjustment of the curve. Either by heating a spot with red-hot copper block and quenching in water (to bend) or by hammering on on back ridge (with sword on its side, to straighten). (source The Craft of the Japanese Sword)

Here's another example of a modern replica. I'm not sure who did this blade, its
just one of many pictures I've been able to find online ...



One thing I've noticed, when scrounging through the links page here and else
where, is that there are few if any makers or companies, like an Albion or an
Arms & Armor for instance, who re-create these swords. Cold Steel offers a
Blucher Saber which is rather nice for the price, but at that price one tends to
question the quality and performance. Lutel has a number of pictures in its
gallery of various sabers, but nothing I could see as a typical offering. A smith
like Vince Evans has made curved blades, but he's likely out of the usual
collector's price range. I think we've seen John Lundemo do some really nice
work, but the blades I recall seeing -- a shamshir style and kilij style -- had
shallow curves. That's not a knock on him, mind you, because those types, as
well as sabers, don't necessitate a pronounced curve.

I know I haven't covered everyone, but I think you know what I mean ...

Quote:

With (traditional) Japanese swords there is some adjustment of the curve. Either by heating a spot with red-hot copper block and quenching in water (to bend) or by hammering on on back ridge (with sword on its side, to straighten). (source The Craft of the Japanese Sword)

I've read that book, and have in the past referenced a couple others. Adjusting
the curve is one thing, but actually intending to create a blade with a crescent,
fullered shape and yelmen might be something else. And heck, I don't even
know dead certain that such blades were " intended " to have so much curve,
or -- as with Japanese blades -- a vaguely adjustable result of the forging /
shaping process ....

Matthew, that last saber you posted above is very nice. Please compare its newly made blade to the blade of the original old Bedouin saber I have posted to see how similar they appear. Oddly as it may sound, Hungarian blades were sought after by arab sword fitters and were regarded highly; so were German blades.
The Cold Steel Blucher is supposed to be an excellent bargain, very close to the original in measures and weight. I've handled it and it feels very good.

There's no denying that the swords carried by the Polish Hussars are derived from Hungarian sabres, though.
People like me seem interested on Hussar swords but not the ones posted by Matthew.

Hello everyone, this is my first post here on myArmoury, but I am a longtime lurker.

Does anyone know how to get in touch with V. Berbekucz? I have emailed him numerouse times to see about commissioning a sword, but I have recieved no response. I have also contacted Armour Class, and if he will not respond then Armour Class is definitely getting the commission. I had originally wanted a maker in the general region of the sabre's birth to make the sword because I'm a hopeless romantic at heart and having a sabre forged in it's land of origin just feels right. Thank you in advance to any who can help me.

On second thought, I'm going with Armour Class due to their lightning fast response time, and their incredible reputation, but if I can contact the man in eastern europe I may consider a second piece.

Comments are welcome, and if anyone wants to know more about my project, or has input, then I'm all ears. And yes, I already know that I am the master of the run-on sentence. :D

Josh welcome aboard.
Viktor himself doesn't speak English but his wife does. It sometimes take them 2-3 days to answer, unless they are in a fair, somewhere in Europe. It is a 2 person buisness.
Personally I'm about to comission another sword from him in the next future.