For those unaware, I took on a challenge a couple of months ago, to develop a series of greatswords that could deal with plate, and still cut well and handle like a sword should handle.

No crowbars for this auld dawg.....

The challenge has to do with not just "surviving" contact with a helmet on a pole, but destroying said helmet on a pole. With a sword, not a sword shaped crowbar. The sword needs to do well on this kind of contact, then handle as well as a well balanced large sword should, and still excel in cutting exercises......

The sword will still be a sword, not an axe, not a hammer, and certainly not a crowbar. So, it won't be as effective as any of them on plate, but it should definitly make an impact.....

The first blades were machined four weeks ago. Then I bogged down in the Christmas rush, and until this week, did not get the opportunity to finish the "engineering" of the hilt. I finished that earlier this week, and the blades and guard are down in Olympia now having the handles fashioned. I should have these first two pups back the first week of January.

The blades are over 37 inches long, over 2.2 inches wide at the base, still 1.75 inches wide at the cop, and from here the blade curves to an acute tip. The double fuller arrangement is for aesthetic purposes, added strength, and a convenient place for the "offhand" to grip the blade for halfsword work.....

The beakbreaker version weighed in at 4lbs even before I broke her down for the trip to Olympia. The large wheel pommel version is more like 4lbs 2......... Both versions handle well, both track naturally, and with the "pivot point" out about 2 inches further than the cop, both "follow the point" naturally in a looping offline thrust.......In the rough hilt arrangement I had before taking them down for the finished handles, both treated the 55 gal barrel outside the way I had hoped they would.....

Featuring a concave distal taper blending into a convex distal taper giving a convex distal taper "effect" {one of the many types of "non-linear distal taper"}, the blade is very rigid {after all, halfsword work in full harness is part of the design criteria}.

The blade type? Kinda XVIaish, though unclassified is likely more true....*g*

The Rocky Mountain Historical Combat Guild has graciously offered to test, and proof test these for me.....an offer I found hard to refuse since it was one of them that talked me into this project..........

Auld Dawg

Gus--

This sounds like it could be a VERY cool sword. Possibly even a candidate for a more fantasy-ish hilt made by Christian Fletcher..... Can wait to see pics of the prototype!

About a month ago (probably before the Christmas rush) you said that you had finished three fullered backsword blades. Josh was hoping to get pictures of one of the blades with some of Eljay's baskets before the blade was shipped to CF. Did this ever happen?

Sorry to be a pest, but you've been working on some pretty interesting stuff lately -- we all want to see!!! :D

--Steve

Hi Stephen

Christian is aware of the gs blades, but is busy enough right now with other projects we haven't really talked to much about them.

Christian has the first of the backsword blades, currently mounted cruciform. He's going to upgrade it to a teastrainer for a customer soon......

I have a similar blade mounted as a bastard backsword. It wowed them at the Seattle Area Gathering, but its future is unclear. I have another being mounted over the weekend in one of the Eljay baskets.....Josh'll have it Monday.

And in the next few weeks, I intend to do a 37 inch backsword blade {fuller, false edge, etc}, for use in a bastard backsword mounting.........

Christmas may interfere, but its possible that Josh'll have photos up next week on the teastrainer. The others'll likely have to wait until next year..

Auld Dawg

When do you think we'll see the first pictures? I'm still having a hard time imagining what this sword (these swords?) looks like...

As " the guy" from the RMHCG who helped talk Gus into these, and the lucky tester of, I promise to have pictures and initial inmpressions as soon as I get it to play with. The Byrnes household got a very spiffy new digi-cam for X-Mas, so i am looking forward to taking pictures of the new sharp pointies with it!



James

Ooh yeah... Pics please.

These would be too heavy for me of course, but they still sound very interesting.

Too heavy for me... unless... they had 2-handed hilts. :D

I think I have a 4.25 pounder with sheath on... that I play with 1-handed sometimes...

Hi James,

I'd love to see some pics on this sucka, I'm very very interested in these new heavier long longswords. Once you've owned an A&A German Bastard sword and an ATrim Phat Bastard, you kinda start prefering the heavier blades ;)

Bob

Hmm...

Seems like a lot of time has gone by since the last reply to this thread...

Was just wondering if any of the testing ond/or picture taking has happened yet?

As a Fan of Great Swords...and a man of my size has to be, i am interested in seeing and reading more about them.

hope to soon :)

Yes indeed! A report and pics would be very nice. Cant wait to see this War Dawg. :cool:

Tom and Bob,

The reason you haven't heard anything on the greatswords, is I havent recieved it yet. Gus was waiting for a new type of guard to be made, but unfortunately seems to have run into a bit of a snag. I talked to him this evening and he is going to complete the sword with a different guard, and hopefully I will have it soon to play with ! Sorry I don't have anything more concrete at the moment, I am as anxious or more than you guys; I get to demo it ! :-) Will keep you aprised.



James