I just stumbled across this on MRL's site. It's interesting looking, but I'm not sure I've seen any rondels with all-brass hilts. All-steel, sure, but not all brass.

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It looks more crude than I'd like, but it's just $85.

i have no faith in MRL, but it looks like an improvement over the older ones ive handeld.
hopefuly it will make a cool project for some do it yourselfers

Just judging form the pictures... I gotta say, I like the blade on it. Thick and pointy. The quality is a concern though.

I really wish Albion put out a rondel. Now that would be sweet.

Here's a pic of what they may have based it on (the bottom one), from our Rondel Dagger spotlight:

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Here's a description of it from a book I have:

Scheibendolch, Deutschland, um 1400
Klinge im ersten Viertel und am Klingensatz sieben-, in der Mitte fünfkantig. Eiserner, teils sechskantiger, teils runder Griff mit Linienverzierung; Ränder der eisernen Scheiben waffelartig verziert.

Alta Vista translates it roughly to:

Rondel Dagger, Germany, ~ 1400
Blade in the first quarter and at the blade set seven -, in the center five-sharp-edged. Iron, partly more hexagonally, partly round grip with line ornament; Edges of the iron disks waffle pattern verziert.

I'd love to hear a better translation.

Other than the rondels, not that bad of an attempt.

They're just wacky with the brass there at MRL. Brass, brass, brass.....They ruin many a potentially interesting piece, in my opinion, with the brass. :wtf:

Perhaps brass is just easier to cast/shape/finish. This is an $85 item after all.

We know latten, a brass-like alloy (or just plain brass, depending on who you talk to), was indeed used in the middle ages. But MRL does seem to liberally apply it.

how do they consistently take something beautiful and "reproduce" it in a odd and misshapen way? im almost impressed how consistantly they pull it off.
i have to admit i like the look of the blade but the whole thing looks chunky compaired to the original.
but at $85 its an option for the guys who want a rondel, but would rather spend the big bucks on the big swords

to each his own

I agree about the brass, it's a little tacky, but it still looks like an interesting rondel. I have their English rondel, which appears to be discontinued, and it is a very good piece for the 75.00 I paid for it. I polished it myself, from 200 grit to 1000 grit and it's not a lot more attractive than the laquer coated blade was. It's also very sturdy and pretty handy as well. I am a sucker for a good rondel, so I might pick this brass hilted one up and check it out. For 85.00 bucks, I can't complain too much, if it's around the usual Windlass quality.

And by the way, an Albion Dagger line sounds really cool, someone should suggest it to them.....

Lacquered or yellowed brass looks terrible in any shape. I suspect this weapon would look dramatically better with a dark patina created by simple ammonia fuming. With an antiqued blade, so much the better. For the more ambitious, a little time with a file or Dremel tool could work wonders. Brass is very soft and easily worked. Typical Windlass project piece.

I should add a note in defense of nonferrous metals :): Brass gave admirable service on an enormous variety of hangers, swords and sabers from the 17th century through the 19th. These were not decorative pieces but combat arms. The fact that many are still around while their iron cousins have long since rusted away demonstrates one of the great benefits of nonferrous furniture. Ease of casting and, thus, standardization, is another.

I just got one of these. A full review will appear on our reviews page (once I write it). I thought folks might like to see more pictures of it.

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Not that I'm a big authority on rondels, but isn't that grip way to long???