I've just purchased a Windlass 15th Century Longsword and want to alter it from the "English" look it has to a more "German" look.
I'm going to make a new hand and a half grip covered completely in leather, rather than the half leather-half wire wrap grip. I'm also going to change the pommel to a more mushroom-shaped one I have on the shelf.

The real question I have, though, is about the ringed crossguard and doing some filework to "spruce it up". Has anyone ever attempted to DO filework on a Windlass crossguard? I LOVE the look of DelTin's German longsword and want to achieve some similar results.

Advice?

Murphy :cool:

So, I still want to try filing and stock removal of all the "bulkiness" of the Windlass hilt. I AM looking into just having a new crossguard made by my favorite smith to my own specs, but, I'm really curious about anyones attempts to modify Windlass Steelcraft furniture.

No-one has ever done this?
Just need some experiences.

Murphy :cool:

well i haven't had one of their swords to tinker with, but i do my own file work to my own knives.

the hilt your working with looks pretty thin particularly the rings, but that shouldn't be a problem if you want to do some file work on it for decoration. as long as you don't totally gouge into it, it should be a fun little accent to the hilt.

first thing i can tell you is to get some steel to practice with first before you start on the hilt. you can get a general file kit at any home improvement store. 1 flat, 1 'bastard' 1 triangular 1 rasp should be sufficient, and also a kit of 'needle' files. they usually come in an assortment.

problem that you might run into is if the hilt pieces are hardened in any way. if they've been heat treated, it's kinda pointless you'll just destroy your files. you can jump to power tools but i find them a little hard to control. to understand if your fittings are hardened, take a file and if it skids off the of the surface of the metal without biting into it, it's hardened. on the other hand if it bits in and makes a cut your good to go.

once you make your cuts, you going to ruin the polish that i see on that hilt, i noticed it's highly polished, so if you want to keep it that way you'll also have to repolish it. or you can just take some sand paper and knock it down to a 'satin' look instead.

now there's also a ton of ways to approach the cuts you want to put into the hilt. usually i always start out with a triangled file to get a cut started at the center - then move to another file to widen that cut. starting with a triangled file give you a good starting cut that doesn't travel. try to make a 'U' cut with a round file only and you'll see what i mean.

file work is awesome, here is a little tidbit of some i did on a spine on a knife i did for some friends of mine. in the end it was a thorned vine pattern. let me know what your thinking of, and i'll see if you can help you with planing out your cuts.

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these are cuts made with a rasp after i started with with the triangular file

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just anothter angle

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here are the cuts widened with a bastard file

Thanks for the detailed and informative reply, Daniel. That's some good info and the kind I need.
As for what I'm going to try to do is this: (Using KoA pics)

This is what I have: A Windlass 15th Century Longsword.
[ Linked Image ]

Kind of a bulky, plain crossguard. I would like it to look a bit more like this- The DelTin 2160. The German Hand &a Half.

[ Linked Image ]

I'm figuring on some serious stock removal before the filework happens. And I don't want to just copy the DT 2160, I'd do something original of course.

Now, depending on how feasable this project looks to be, I've still got an alternative in having a pal just forge up what I want. This thread is going to convince me either way. Another alternative is going to the Marketplace forum and responding to the myArmoury.com member selling HIS DT2160 for a durn good $400.00 pricetag. (Holy tempting, lemme tell ya.)

So that is where I'm at.

Murphy :cool:

file away. i've done tons of work on ws hilts, including this one.

I would caution about not filing too deep or at a weld that may not be too obvious if it was cleaned up properly: Probably not a problem with shallow closely space filed grooves but always think of doing the filing in places that won't weaken structural integrety of the piece.

If the guard is greatly overbuilt you can file deeper and wider.

Establishing the initial cut is where one has to be careful to not have the file skip out of the cut and end up with a bunch of closely spaced cut attempts that will have to be cleaned up later ..... plus it get frustrating when the file keeps jumping out of the cut.

On the other hand once established it is easy to keep on deepening and widening the cut(s).

You can use stacked ( For a wider cut, as a single cutting wheel may just end up cutting right though you piece too easily ) dremel cutting wheels as these can cut very deep very fast but you can also ruin a piece very fast. ;) :D

Thanks guys. Seriously.
I'm thinking of simply thinning the crossguard ends and leaving the rings the same size and just doing some decorative filing work on them.
Just to ease it of it's blocky, English look. ;) The pommel change will help too.

Hmmm...I should draw it out a bit. Make some sketches. Put what's in my mind into a picture.

Thanks guys.



Murphy

Ive had this sword that I mildly tweeked and I would say I wouldnt hesitate to customize the way you want.
Like Sean says file away I know he has worked with this sword. Just show us a pic or two when your done!