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Posts: 717 Location: Wisconsin, USA

Thu 05 Oct, 2006 7:37 am

Dane Update

Steve Fisher just completed the prototype blade blank for the Dane (Danish Two-Hander) and I thought I'd share some photos and impressions.

[ Linked Image ]

more photos here:

http://www.albion-swords.com/swords/albion/ne...-blade.htm

My first response was frankly emotional - this thing is a beast! The thickness of the tang and ricasso give even the unmounted blade a sense of devastating authority. You can just imagine going up against a row of pikemen and cutting through a pikeshaft and then spitting the poor pikeman with this long nasty spike! Or opening up an armoured opponent like a lobster!

Looking at the photos it looks almost dainty -- that is why we added a shot of it next to the Baron, to give you a sense of the scale.

More than anything, this reminds me of a supersized Svante, (though it is not hollow-ground) -- the authoritative "feel" is somewhat similar.

Some rough specs (I may have gotten the conversions wrong)
Thickness of ricasso and tang: .375" (9.5 mm)
Thickness halfway down cutting edge: .304" (7.7 mm)
Length (ricasso and cutting edge): 39" (99 cm)
Length (cutting edge): 30.5" (76 cm)
Tang length: 17.75" (45 cm)
Overall length: 56.75" (144 cm)
Weight: 3.45 lbs (1567 g)

I was struck by how "unsual" this sword is to someone unfamiliar with the type (such as myself.) One thing I really love about my job is that I never stop learning and this sword is no exception - looking at photos of swords of this type I never had an appreciation of the scale or the geometry -- and as a result I had a very different impression of what these swords were all about.

So, I asked Peter to tell us a little more about the type of sword that the Dane represents and this is what he had to say:

"The Dane is an example of one of the more advanced or extreme blade designs in the history of the European sword.

Oakeshott classified these and put them as subclass XVIIIe in the large and varied type XVIII group. They differ dramatically when compared to any other type XVIIIa, b, c or d, however.

The grip is typically very long in proportion to the blade. Grip length can be a third or more of the total length. Quite a few of these weapons have survived and now reside as excavated specimens in museum store rooms in Scandinavia. I have had the privilege to see and handle several of them.

Swords with extremely long grips were popular in Scandinavia and possibly northern Germany in the 15th C. Interestingly, swords of similar size and proportions were also made/used in Italy at the same time (one fine example is exhibited in Brescia).

These swords will show some variation within the family. I am not sure all can be comfortable classified as XVIIIe´s. Despite sharing the same general proportions, there is quite some variation to the blades of these weapons. Sometimes the blade rather shares characteristics with type XIII, XV or even XX. All are obviously intended for two handed use. Most are large, but some have blade lengths more in scale with single handed swords.

One subgroup have blades that are fairly broad at the base, tapering to a narrow spade shaped point. These are flexible, thin bladed cutting swords. Sometimes the blade has one or several fullers. There is no ricasso on these blades. The grip is sometimes very long. I have seen one example where the grip was almost equal in length to the blade. The guard is often wide and slightly curved. Pommel is often wedged shaped or spherical.

Others have blades of moderate width that seem to favor thrust and cut equally. They do not have a ricasso. Section can be diamond shaped or lenticular. Some have fullers and could be classified as type XX swords with extremely long grips.
The guard can sometimes be C-shaped with both arms curving to the front side of the grip at right angles to the blade; like an S-curved guard gone wrong. Others have a pretzel shaped guard. Both these guard types seem to be locally favored in the Scandinavian countries. Pommels are commonly spherical or a small octagonal scent stoppers.

The Dane is a representative of those perhaps most characteristic or familiar of the long gripped Scandinavians. These were the swords that Oakeshott described in his classification and included as type XVIIIe. They stand out from the other long gripped swords because of the character of the blade, and that they all have a ricasso. The blade is usually not so broad but very thick and stout with a diamond shaped cross section. The point is strong and awl like.

The proportion grip/blade length is often about 2:5. The guard is normally curved towards the point, sometimes just a more or less straight bar. The pommel is almost always a scent stopper with octagonal section. In many cases there are traces of a rather unique grip cover: it has short sections tightly wrapped with iron wire, serving as reinforcement and providing good gripping. The wood could be left plain or covered by leather under the wire binding. In some cases there could have been a leather rain guard covering the cross and the mount of the scabbard.

The feel of these weapons is special and quite apart from most any other type of sword. The thickness of the blade and ricasso is striking. When used in half swording, they could almost qualify as a kind of short pole arm: its thick, stiff blade and tremendous awl point would have been devastating when the swordsman put the full momentum of his body behind a thrust.

The length of grip and blade together provides long reach in both cut and thrust, while the balance provides surprising maneuverability. The point of balance is close to the guard, but the sword still has a positive blade presence because of its mass. They are massive weapons, but agile despite their size.

When seeing swords such as these up close it becomes obvious they were made to be strong thrusting swords. It is equally obvious that blades like these must have been developed to be able to deal and take blows in fighting between fully armoured opponents. Even if a sword cut can never really be expected to cleave armour, a blow from a blade with the mass and stiffness of these swords would still deal terrible damage, stunning or perhaps even killing. The point could conceivably penetrate the thinner parts of plate armour with a good hit, but thrusts would naturally be aimed at gaps and openings, where only mail and/or padding was the protection.

To a less than completely armoured opponent the edge and point of these swords would be equally lethal.
They give a strong impression of being made for battlefield use. They have the mass, heft and agility to be reliable no nonsense killing tools. A trained swordsman in full armour equipped with a sword of this type must have been truly terrifying.

Perhaps these swords could also have served well on horseback. The long grip, stout guard and strong ricasso makes it possible to couch the sword like a lance, resting the guard across the armpit and breastplate. The reach is not long, but in some situations this might have been a good thing. The use of swords as lances is described in some medieval texts.

A number of these swords has been found in the graves of Danish Noblemen dating to the third quarter of the 15th C. Quite a few has also been found as loose finds in other parts of Scandinavia. It is impossible to say whether these weapons saw a popularity among the fighting men from all parts of Scandinavia, or if the finds are remains of Danish knights and men-at-arms who fought and fell on foreign soil. "

This prototype blade will now be shipped off to Peter for development of the hilt waxes and he will possibly do some cutting tests for us with the blade.

Best,

Howy

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