Hello everyone,
2 new swords on Patrick Barta's website, a roman and a viking, either with pattern welded blade, hmmm !
I have still to wait around 1 year to get mine....
Check the link http://www.templ.net/news.php

I don't think anyone actually needs to say "Wow" when presented with Mr. Bárta's work anymore... it's just assumed.
That said...
Wow.
I've got about a year yet to go in queue myself... it'll be a long one.

You guys are lucky. I have almost 2 years left to wait! Barta's pattern welding and attention to detail is just incredible. I have an order placed for a pattern welded viking sword (sorry can't find the pics on my computer, I'll post them as soon as I can find them). I'm also thinking about having the below sword reproduced but I'm not sure if I'm going to go with Barta or A&A yet. So what do you guys have on order?

Jason, I want that same sword you photographed produced, too. That would be sweet.

I have something on order with Patrick Bárta, too. Mine's quite a bit more simple compared to all this ornate stuff. It's a compound hilt (surprise!), but nothing with engraving, inlays, or anything like that. He's about a year late now on it, but truthfully I'm sort of happy about it because I won't have the money for it until 2006 anyway. He's a top-notch maker.

One year late ! So maybe I have still 2 years waiting...
I ordered a viking Petersen type H hilt with inlays of copper and silver, after a sword found in Brittany (France). The original is in a french museum.
On the other hand I ordered another one to Vladimir Cervenka and he is just on the schedule, he just started with it and it's expected to be delivered in February.

I recently inquired about ordering a sword from Mr. Barta. As several of you noted, his lead time is on the order of two years. His response was business-like and polite, of course, but the tone of the note :( suggested that he is not really looking for any more business right now.... :cry:

I also have a compound hilt on order from him - one inspired by this one:

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Wow, that spatha has one of the most "balanced" and "perfectly" shaped blades I have ever seen.
I could wield that one happily . . . .

[quote="Nathan Robinson"]Jason, I want that same sword you photographed produced, too. That would be sweet.quote]

Hey Nathan,

Do you have any more pictures of this sword? Something in color would be nice. Another reason that I've held off on having this sword made is I've been unable to find any more pics or info on this sword. I know it's probably German around 1530 but that's all.

A little off topic but here's another cool item that I'd love to have made someday. . . a 16th Cent German Stonebow. Maybe we should have a separate topic about custom item want lists.

I have a rapier on order with Mr. Barta. The man is a truly remarkable artist, his eye for balance and flow is really fine, and from what I can tell and have heard the historicity of his work is standard-setting. I wish I knew of another smith making rapiers on his level at all, let alone in his price range.

I think his reaction to a particular project depends a lot these days on how it reflects his own interests. It took a bit of discussion for us to settle on a design he was interested in doing. In the end I deferred to his judgment after vetoing one idea--I'd much rather have him do something he's really interested in than push him to do something he is less invested in.

He's not someone to hire to just execute what you want, he's an artist working at a very high level. I'd be tempted to buy swords of his far outside my interest range just for the height of achievement in artistry, comprehension, and craftsmanship they represent.

My order is to be a replica of the sword pictured, a Bavarian lake find with some unique inlays. It's an unusual find, so I'm hoping to verify and expand upon the information I've been given concerning the sword during my January trip to Germany, prior to Patrick's beginning work, but we'll see how things go; he's also doing some research of his own.
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