A full review is underway, [FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED BELOW] but I wanted to go ahead and share the results of the antiquing. An original-- with cleaned hilt :-( --is pictured below the replica. I may decide to clean the replica hilt a bit more. Still deciding. Anyway, I'm very pleased with this purchase. $100, incl. shipping, from MRL.

---

 Attachment: 80.97 KB



 Attachment: 90.14 KB

Sean,
EXCELLENT! This was exactly what I was looking to do sometime soon. You are an inspiration, friend!


:)
Jesse

It's a very simple process. Just vinegar & salt in a spray bottle for the blade (do this FIRST) followed by steel wool 24 hours later. The finer the mist you can get from the bottle, the better. Ammonia fuming for the brass, again followed with fine steel wool 24 hours later. I was too eager to fume the hilt and learned the hard way that vinegar makes an exceptional brass cleaner. Had to scrub off some of the patina and start over. I also learned that fuming the hilt, then scrubbing it a bit with fine steel wool, fuming it again, scrubbing it again, etc. gives the impression of an antique that's been cleaned a few times. The patina builds up strongly in the recessed areas, as you can see, and rubbing off the raised areas suggests years of handling. All the fumed brass needs a bit of light wool-work to remove the blue-gray haze that overlies the buttery patina.

I was AMAZED that this blade was not lacquered, but only oiled. Woo-hoo! I was DISMAYED that the hilt WAS lacquered. Boo-hoo! Fortunately, it was a light coat that came off easily with a half-hour treatment with Citrustrip followed by fine steel wool. If you leave any lacquer, you'll get bright spots in the patina. I would recommend stripping the lacquer even for those who want a pristine finish. Lacquered brass is cheap looking. The cleaned and polished brass is dazzling, almost silver. By the way, the patina produced by the ammonia fuming is very deep and durable.

Sean,

Very impressive work.

I have a hanger with a brass hilt... I think I will give it a try.

Can't wait to see more pics... especially a close-up of the blade.

ks

Here's a detail that also shows the quality of the etching.
This is a relatively light treatement of the blade. I really wanted only staining on this piece, but a 17th c. backsword I antiqued is a dark,rich grey-brown and appears to have multiple transparent layers. This hanger would develop same with multiple sprayings & cleanings, with longer rusting times.

---

 Attachment: 76.33 KB

By the way, Kirk, if you do try ammonia fuming, be aware of different effects depending on how the fuming chamber (aka "cat litter bucket") is ventilated. If relativley well sealed with a garbage bag, as in this case, the vapors may condense on the brass and create spots of darker patina. These can be left or polished out with the steel wool. I ilked them, and simply blended them in a bit. If the chamber is not quite as well sealed, the patina may be more even and predictable, with no darker areas from condensation. Experiment. It's easy enough to clean the hilt and start over if you don't like the results. In any case, the multiple treatments do create an overall richer effect.

Here's a detail of the pommel area. I created the pits and scratches you see here (darker because the steel wool doesn't get unto them during cleaning). The casting of the brass was flawless before I rolled the hilt around on a cement driveway to give it some scars.

---

 Attachment: 115.63 KB

Sean...

Thanks for the close-ups... quality work all around. I know all bout the "do-overs." I think, in my case, that is what adds that extra layer or depth to the patina is that I keep trying to find that state of perfect imperfection. I can recognize it in this piece. Great job!

p.s.
I may use the ammonia chamber on a bronze Odysseus sword I just finished. I guess it would work on bronze.

ks

Yep. Getting it wrong a few times dramatically improves the final outcome :D
I'm curious to see how the ammonia works with bronze. Is the whole weapon bronze? If so, I'm eager to see the contraption you devise to fume the whole piece at once. I guess you could make an inverted U-shaped platform out of chicken wire and slip baking pans of ammonia underneath. You could run a string between two stakes and drape plastic sheeting over the whole affair to trap the fumes. Hmmm...be sure to post your methods and results!

Sean,

The Odysseus sword is finished, but it is only 20 inches long. It is the Albion version.

http://www.albionarmorers.com/swords/albion/odysseus.htm

I could put it in the tent with the hanger.
I have already taken pictures of the bronze sword as it is (unaged). I am waiting for the movie "Troy" to come out in May and then I will post a short review with pics.

Thanks
ks

Sweet. I look forward to the review. One aspect of ammonia fuming will be of special interest to you-verdegris. Parts of both the pieces I've fumed developed that light green verdegris you see on ancient bronze. I clean off most of it, but I wonder if you could get that over the entire surface if you let the piece fume long enough....

How does that piece handle. I have been eyeing that one recently.

I think it handles very well. You can feel that it's a powerful cutting blade, but the point of balance is near the hilt-105mm (4") below the hilt, to be exact. The comfortable balance owes much to the fullering of the blade as well as to visible distal taper. The blade back is 7mm (.25") thick at the ricasso, but tapers down to 3mm just before tapering even more strongly toward the false edge, which runs for 100mm (4"). I really love the way this weapon feels in the hand. Feel is subjective, of course, but the fullers and distal taper aren't just for show. Keep in mind that this replicates a general-issue military weapon that even in its heyday was considered the third line of the infantryman's defense/offense. I wouldn't be at all surprised if these were used more often to attack underbrush than to attack the enemy. That's why 18th century American infantry abandoned swords for belt axes and knives. If I'm correctly interpreting the Viginia Muster of 1624/25 (open to debate), even at that early date the colonists may have recognized the limited utility of the sword...but that's another story.

My full review of this replica is reproduced below. I posted this in another thread and inadvertently knocked it out of contention for formal publication in the reviews section. That's my mistake, and a dumb one, but I did want to make sure that a copy of the review is included with this thread so folks interested in this replica will find it easily.

---------
Review of a Windlass Steelcrafts Hanger
by Sean Flynt

Introduction
I recently convinced myself that 18th century infantry hangers should be good candidates for modern replication because they tended to be relatively simple, inexpensive, mass-produced weapons. With that reassurance in mind, I decided to experiment with a Windlass Steelcrafts hanger based on a Prussian weapon of ca. 1750.

Overview
The classic 18th century infantry hanger has a short (~25"), broad cutting blade and a hilt of iron or cast brass consisting of a knucklebow and protective plate between grip and ricasso. Those of the type reviewed here typically weighed between one and two pounds.

Although this basic form was widely adopted, infantry hangers of this era exhibit surprising variety in their details. Some have thumb rings. Some have spirally fluted brass grips while others have wooden, wire-wrapped grips. Some are of sloppy finish and detail while others are very finely finished. Their blades may be fullered or flat, slightly curved and single-edged or straight and double-edged. Whatever their unique national characteristics, these were utilitarian weapons typically produced in the manner described in George Neumann's classic Swords and Blades of the American Revolution (lovers of finely-crafted swords might want to skip this passage):

"Contemporary manufacture normally began with a cast steel bar which was cut into two lengths, each of which would make two blades. After being fed through waterpowered rolling mills which pressed them to the desired shape and size, they were ground by large stone wheels, tempered by warm oil or water, and struck by hardwood blocks for testing. Before being finished by a polisher, the blade had a soft iron tang welded to its upper end. For assembly of the hilt, the components had hollow centers and were simply compiled one above the other on the thin tang. When complete, the tang's end was hammered down like a rivet head, or threaded for a screw-on cap (52). "

With the ascendance of the socket bayonet, the infantry sword was relegated to the third line of defense and finally removed from general issue. By the time of the American Revolution, hangers were issued primarily to noncomissioned officers. As late as the mid 18th century, however, the hanger was still a staple of Old-World infantry kit.

One of Britain's hanger variants, in modern times designated the Model 1742, was manufactured in the Germanies and issued to infantry there as well as in Hanoverian Britain. The differences between the home-issue and export weapons are slight and of little practical significance. Both feature heart-shaped guards, stubby, downturned forward quillons and either globular or urn-shaped pommels with capstans. Originals in good condition can be purchased for less than $1,000 USD.

Windlass Steelcrafts offers two replica versions of the Model 1742, both selling for under $100. One of these features an urn-shaped pommel and spiral grip. The other, reviewed here, replicates a Prussian-issue sword and features a globular pommel and distinctively German details such as almost vertical spiral fluting of its grip, a brass-furnished scabbard with leather extending down over its tip, and the monogram of Frederick William (Frederick the Great) of Prussia deeply and crisply etched on both sides of the blade along with crown and floral motifs. The replica hanger's vital statistics follow:

Weight .99kg (2.2 lbs)

POB 105mm (4.1") below guard

Overall Length 790mm (31.1")

Blade length 637mm (25")

Fuller Start 150mm (5.9") below guard

Fuller Length 320mm (12.6")

Fuller Width 2mm (.07")

Blade Width at Guard 31mm (1.2")

Blade Thickness at Guard 7mm (.3")

Blade Thickness Before 3mm (.1")

Tapering to False Edge

Length of False Edge 100mm (3.9")

In Prussian service, this hanger would have been carried on a buff leather waist belt along with a socket bayonet (Neumann 27). The hanger's scabbard would have had a throatless design with a brass clip protruding through the leather to secure the weapon in its belt frog. The scabbard's brass tip, finished with a ball finial, would have been partially covered by the leather of the scabbard (Neumann 60).

Handling Characteristics
The weight of the Windlass hanger is slightly above the weight range typical for this type, but isn't egregiously inaccurate. The weapon has the blade presence one would expect of a short sword designed exclusively for cutting and expected to survive the abuse of a general issue sidearm, but feels wonderful in the hand because the point of balance is so near the hilt.


Fit & Finish
The fit and finish of this replica are very fine. Starting at the top:

* Overall, the hilt is neatly finished and very tight, with no play at all in the furniture or blade. The hilt assembly is secured by a brass capstan nut.

*Original 18th century hangers typically have a hole near the base of the pommel that corresponds to a pin on the terminus of the knucklebow. I assumed Windlass would eliminate this detail because it requires precise alignment and the time-intensive work of drilling and machining small parts. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the replica does include this feature, perfectly executed and aligned. In fact, with one exception, all hilt components are perfectly cast and aligned with one another and with the blade. The only exception was the quillon, which had been bent about 10 degrees away from a slight ding in the guard. This clearly was the result of some accident between factory floor and purchaser, and not the result of sloppy casting. The quillon was easily realigned with padded pliers. Many original hangers of this type are missing their quillons, so this may represent a weakness in the historic design. "Historically accurate" doesn't necessarily mean "good".

* Unlike most published examples of this weapon type, only the outboard side of the replica’s grip is fluted. I can't tell from published examples whether this is true to the type on which this particular replica is based, but it would seem strange for Windlass to overlook the accuracy of the cast grip when they've given so much attention to less obvious details of their replica. In any case, the grip of the Windlass hanger closely matches at least the outboard side of the grip of the original shown here(#E-69 in Warren Moore's Weapons of the American Revolution), and is very comfortable in the hand.

* The etching of the blade is exceptionally well executed for such an inexpensive replica, and appears to exactly match the engravings of the original shown here.

* Windlass has paid great attention to the distinctively German details of the weapon's scabbard, which features an internal brass throat, brass clip extending through the front of the scabbard, and leather extending down to cover the entire tip up to its ball finial. I don't know if any original German hanger scabbards are so complete in their coverage of the tip, but the example shown by Neumann covers only half its tip. I chose to modify the replica scabbard to match that example. I found that the tip of the blade tends to catch the edge of the internal scabbard tip. I solved the problem by bending the scabbard a bit in the direction of the blade's curvature. In retrospect, when I modified the scabbard I should have slit the leather at the tip end and inserted the tip between the two resulting layers. That would keep the leather covering of the tip and prevent the blade catching the inside edge of the tip. I'd like to know how German craftsmen solved that problem.

* The blade is perfectly finished, and oiled rather than lacquered. The flawless brass hilt does have a light coat of lacquer, and I recommend stripping the lacquer even if you don't plan to abuse and antique the hilt as I have. The lacquered finish looks cheap to me while the brass is beautiful-almost silver- if cleaned and polished with military thoroughness.

* A faux antique finish, including abuse of the hilt to produce a few pits and scratches, is satisfying because it creates a weapon that looks antique. If the antiquing is done with conscientious reference to originals, it also provides an education about those weapons, the processes of decay, and techniques of modern replication and forgery. An 18th c. British infantry sergeant might not stand for the battered finish I favor, but I much prefer its richness and depth to the look of lacquered brass. Follow this link for a discussion of the antiquing process: http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=1278


Conclusion
Overall, this is the most historically accurate and detailed Windlass Steelcrafts sword I've owned. At $100, including shipping, it's also the least expensive Windlass sword I've owned, and that makes it all the more appealing.

References:
Moore, Warren. Weapons of the American Revolution...and Accoutrements. Promontory Press, NY, 1967.

Neumann, George C. Swords and Blades of the American Revolution. Promontory Press. NY, 1973.


Sean Flynt is a writer and editor living in Birmingham, Alabama. His edged-weapon interests are focused on Western swords of all periods, but especially the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.

Sean and Kirk,
Keep up the "do it yerself" posts, they are great! You both do an excellent job making ho-hum swords into something special. :D

Great work and keep posting the ups and downs on your antiquings (if only to make any future experiments of mine easier :p :p ;) )

You continue to show great technique where aging is concerned. Your work shows an attention to detail and a practical subtlety. Not too much aging and not too little. The pieces have a finished heirloom quality.

Yet again, another great looking project Sean. Keep 'em coming. :cool:


William
aka Bill

Thanks for the kind words, folks! Thanks, also, to myArmoury.com for providing this amazing forum where we can exchange such ideas.

I am resurrecting this very old thread, since I am able clarify a question raised:

Sean Flynt wrote:

* Unlike most published examples of this weapon type, only the outboard side of the replica’s grip is fluted. I can't tell from published examples whether this is true to the type on which this particular replica is based, but it would seem strange for Windlass to overlook the accuracy of the cast grip when they've given so much attention to less obvious details of their replica. ....

I was perusing the web site of an antiques dealer (thanks to Jonathan Hopkins for the link!) , and I found a listing for a German Infantry Hanger. Lo and behold, I found pictures that validate the grip design of the MRL hanger, with fluting applied only to the outboard side of the grip, and the inboard side left smooth. Here is one of the photos, showing both the inboard side and a little bit of the outboard side of the grip.
[ Linked Image ]

Steve,
My pleasure, and wow, what a memory! This thread is 2 1/2 years old! That is an interesting detail that I never knew about before--thanks for bringing it to light! I guess money and material was saved by embellishing only what would be visible?

Jonathan