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Phoenix Metal "Sinclair-hilted" Backsword
Original: German, circa 1600

This is a custom one-of-a-kind sword based on an antique in a private collection. It was made by Erik Stevenson of Phoenix Metal Creations, a super talented metal worker with an extremely fine-tuned understanding of shape, volume and proportion. Many makers get this wrong with complex-hilted swords but this sword has it spot on. Oh, and his understanding of the dynamics of a sword are also top-notch.

Erik Stevenson no longer makes arms and armour pieces. He only made perhaps 20-25 pieces in total, making this an extremely rare reproduction. Those who are interested in complex-hilted swords like this are really limited by having only a small selection of qualified makers in the world. Most makers produce items that are poorly proportioned, badly rendered in three-dimensions, are dynamically inferior, or are historically incorrect. Those few makers that do it right are quite expensive with long wait times.

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This German fighting backsword (often called a "Sinclair" hilted saber) is typical of a style of sword carried by mercenary troops throughout expeditions of Scandinavia. It has a large semi-hollow octagonally-faceted pommel. The slightly downcurved qillions are unusual for this hilt type; re-curved quillons are more common. They are oval-sided quillons terminate in decorative buttons and connect to the rear hand guard and thumb-ring. The finger-ring, as found on the original, is inaccessible due to the large shell, pierced with four distinctive "heart" shapes. The grip replicates the original, no doubt replaced at some point, being bound with twisted wire and having Turk's heads top and bottom.

The blade is a single-edged backblade made by Angus "Gus" Trim. Erik Stevenson put two fullers, one large and one small, into it that extend three-quarter's of the length of the blade. The false-edge has been sharpened, creating a very versatile weapon.

Dynamically, this sword is really fantastic in the hand. It's nimble while still being able to deliver a robust blow to a target. The edged are very sharp with a perfect edge geometry; sharp for cutting while having enough meat behind the edge to support it for harder targets. The blade details, with the double fullered edge that transitions into a sharpened false edge is quite complex.

The level of finish is outstanding. The wire-wrapped grip is as good as it gets. It's really a beautifully executed piece.

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Please see My Collection Gallery for a full selection of photos.

Measurements and Specifications:

Overall length: 39"
Weight: 2.9 pounds
Width of guard: 9.25"
Blade: 32.5" long; 1.5" wide tapering to 1"
False edge: 10" long
Fullers: 21.5" long
Grip and pommel: 6" long
Point of Balance (PoB): 3.5" from cross
Center of Percussion (CoP): ~22" from cross

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ASKING PRICE: $1550 or best offer + shipping

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Questions or comments can be Private Messaged to me here on myArmoury.com or via email.

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This piece was created as a replica of this specific example, circa 1600:

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