I ordered a custom sword from Viktor Berbkucz in late Autumn or early Winter last year, and it arrived on Thursday.

I have attached some photos of the sword. The finish is very nice - brass fittings with a hammered feather motif on the suspension tabs and chape, and what I assume is cotton velvet in between. The handle is made with bone and dark wood and the quillons and pommel are brass. The tang is peened over the pommel and the entire sword is rock solid and holds up very well in combat.

The suspension tabs work great on horseback and there is very little wobbling of the sword - there is only a very slight wobble at the trot. The handle is always in a convenient place for drawing and the sword can be kept constantly at a convenient angle. The scabbard fits well and is tight around the ricasso which stops the sword from falling out.

The edge is 1 mm thick, as I requested. Balance is great and the sword is very easy to manoeuvre for cutting and thrusting. It is very easy to wield in a Sassanian grip - a handshake grip with one finger hooked over the quillons and resting on the ricasso. The blade is 81 cm long, and 4.5 cm wide at the base, overall the sword is just under a metre long.

Communication was good, Viktor's wife sent e-mails in English usually within a few days and kept me updated all the time.

I will certainly be ordering from him again! :)

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Nice sword, but somehow looks like components maybe don't fit visually together. Is it based on any historical sword?

The scabbard is a fairly common Sassanian-type scabbard with the P-mounts and the feather motif; this type of scabbard suspension is thought to have been introduced in the late 4th or during the 5th Century. The sword itself is from iconography, but isn't a copy of any particular find. The pistol grips seen on most Sassanian swords probably didn't appear until the 6th Century.

I would guess that it's based on Sassanid swords, obviously. :)

it's not a culture I really know anything about, so can't comment, but it looks very nice.

Thanks :-) I like shiny things!

He has recently finished my helmet based on the Cheragh Ali Tappeh helmets, which I should be receiving early next week. I was very happy with the photos he sent :-) His is a little different to the two in museums (which are significantly different to each other as well) but I do not mind as there was probably an awful lot of variation among the Sassanian cavalry with arms and armour given the very feudal nature of the state.

The ricasso was the main thing that didn't look to me like it belongs on this sword. But overall it is a very nice sword. I also don't know much about sassanid swords so that should be taken into account. :)

Looks amazing!

So it's blunted? Does he make sharp blades also?