I have finished a pair of these massive sabres (messers?); one for a commission and one for stock.
a few years ago I was asked to reproduce one as close to the original as a joint venture between the Royal Armouries where the original is based (ix634) and a private company and as part of this project I went to examine and measure the original piece, which was of course a complete honour.
The sword both stunning and huge, with a 100cm long 39" blade but comes in fairly nimble for its size at 1540g or 3lbs 7oz. The POB is quite forward of the guard, which you would expect as there is no pommel, just a thick scale tang and is 18cm or 7".
The blade like most messers and sabres, has a steeply plunging thickness from the guard so that it starts at 8mm and after around 20cm it is down to 5.5mm and then eventually tapers down to a ver slice 2mm a few cm back from the tip.
The grip is made from two pieces of ash which are individually fabric covered with a silk dupion and although we don't know what fabric the original was covered in, the witness left by the weave is visible in the glue left on the grips. The guard is formed as a serpent.
The original had engraving near the guard, which I have left off these.
I have provided a simple leather covered and poplar cored scabbard with a bronze chaperons.
The sword is dated to around 1500, but that seems quite early and also quite close to the Field of Cloth of Gold, so I wonder if it was a show piece for that event.
I hope you like it.
Tod
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