Posts: 429 Location: florida
Sun 20 Apr, 2014 7:42 pm
Budget Baselard Build
My humble interpretation of the basilard dagger/shortsword. In light of the several masterful threads/projects involved in replicating items of this amazing;y under represented historical period.
Blade is a MLR " arkansas toothpick" blade blank buffed to a satin finish with a hand carved grip and metallic bits made from some 16ga mild steel I had lying around. Project was intended to be a sidearm for a similarly hilted baselard sword I've not bothered to make yet :)
Whole project ended up costing around ~$30 to make and handily passes the 15 foot test.
Attachment: 157.91 KB
![baselard.jpg](files/baselard_403.jpg)
Posts: 1,265 Location: Malaysia
Tue 22 Apr, 2014 5:49 am
Budget Baselard Build
[ Linked Image ]
That baselard looks stunning!
Anyway Tom, good luck with your next project. ;)
Posts: 643 Location: Minnesota, USA
Fri 25 Apr, 2014 7:30 pm
Very cool Tom. :cool:
I’ve often thought about making something from a MLR "Arkansas toothpick" blade blank and you’ve just proved that a DIYer can have good results!
Posts: 2,294 Location: East backwoods-assed Texas
Fri 25 Apr, 2014 7:47 pm
Congrats to you, Tom! That looks great! It would be cool if you had some WIP pics to share.............McM
Posts: 429 Location: florida
Sun 27 Apr, 2014 2:10 pm
Not to bump my own thread too much, but I felt I might as well describe the baselards handling characteristics, since I built this to be something carryable and not just a display piece.
Despite being short sword like in proportions, the blade is near weightless in the hand and wicked fast. A perfect brawling weapon, and easily carried on the hip or harness. I'd say the sword in scabbard barely tips a pound.
Like most windlass blades, getting and keeping it scalpel sharp is easier said than done. Right now it is sharp to the touch, but not a great paper cutter. Ironically enough considering how light the blade is, it excels at heavier targets; Being such a short and stiff blade, it acts a bit like a dagger profiled machete. No doubt it would be devastating on flesh, but I haven't been by the local meat department to film a coldsteel torture test of it yet. The quickly tapering point on such a wide blade makes it a wicked unarmored thrusting weapon. Against layered cardboard it treats it like butter.
After building and testing a baselard, I've developed an even finer appreciation for why the swiss developed such an exceptional CQC weapon. If I was a 16th century pikeman, a compact cut and thrust blade like this would definitely be my go to backup weapon in battle, and my first line of defense it town.
Posts: 2,294 Location: East backwoods-assed Texas
Sun 27 Apr, 2014 9:40 pm
Your CS Norse hawk looks great too, Tom. I hate that black paint they come with new, Its a royal pain to get off. I wish they would quit using it. The steel underneath looks SO good. :D ...............McM
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