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Joel Whitmore
Location: Simmesport, LA Joined: 25 Aug 2003
Posts: 342
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 Posted: Sat 13 Mar, 2004 5:42 pm Post subject: More images of the A&A 15th Century Two -hander |
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I had a chance to take some more pics of the A&A Sword. I am also working on a full review for myArmoury, but that is not done yet. Found the COP to be about 22" from the tip adn the COB to be about 6" in front of the cross. The sword is not as heavy as I thought it to be with 5.6lbs on a rather cheap scale. I plan to weigh it on a much more accurate scale later this week. Also, I am looking for suggestions as to what to cut with this puppy. I could always do the 1/4" plywood. However, I was also thinking about rigging up a 30" diameter ...something.... of wet newspapers, perhaps wrapped in wet cardboard with a green , freshcut sampling in the back as a spine. HEHE just my "unusual mind" rambling. Don't know where i would get real tatami mats without ordering them and that would only delay the review anyway. So send in yoru suggestions and enjoy the pics.
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The original in the Wallace Collection and the A&A sword.
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Joel Whitmore
Location: Simmesport, LA Joined: 25 Aug 2003
Posts: 342
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| Posted: Sat 13 Mar, 2004 5:46 pm Post subject: More views |
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Here are a few more:
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That beefy pommel and my beefy hand.
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Ain't those proportions beautiful!!
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Joel Whitmore
Location: Simmesport, LA Joined: 25 Aug 2003
Posts: 342
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| Posted: Sat 13 Mar, 2004 5:52 pm Post subject: Some more |
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The Cross and langet detailing:
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Dig that terminus detail on the cross ends.
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Joel Whitmore
Location: Simmesport, LA Joined: 25 Aug 2003
Posts: 342
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| Posted: Sat 13 Mar, 2004 5:54 pm Post subject: Clamshell or flower? |
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Are these clamshells or flowers on the langets?
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You decide!
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Nice overall view.
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Steve Maly
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| Posted: Sat 13 Mar, 2004 7:56 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the pics Joel! It looks like a beaut!
"When the only tool you own is a hammer, every problem begins to resemble a nail." ~A. Maslow
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Jeremiah Swanger
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| Posted: Sat 13 Mar, 2004 10:28 pm Post subject: Re: Clamshell or flower? |
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| Joel Whitmore wrote: | | Are these clamshells or flowers on the langets? |
That bottom shot makes the sword look very sleek and sexy. The lines are very crisp and the aesthetics of the blade are beautifully-proportioned...
You know, I was considering the GBS as my first A&A sword (whenever that will happen), but now this 15th Century Two-Hander has really hit a sweet spot with me...
You just had to go and complicate things for me, didn't you! 
"Rhaegar fought nobly.
Rhaegar fought valiantly.
Rhaegar fought honorably.
And Rhaegar died."
- G.R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire
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Jeremiah Swanger
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| Posted: Sat 13 Mar, 2004 10:30 pm Post subject: Re: More images of the A&A 15th Century Two -hander |
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| Joel Whitmore wrote: | | I had a chance to take some more pics of the A&A Sword. I am also working on a full review for myArmoury, but that is not done yet. Found the COP to be about 22" from the tip adn the COB to be about 6" in front of the cross. The sword is not as heavy as I thought it to be with 5.6lbs on a rather cheap scale. I plan to weigh it on a much more accurate scale later this week. Also, I am looking for suggestions as to what to cut with this puppy. I could always do the 1/4" plywood. However, I was also thinking about rigging up a 30" diameter ...something.... of wet newspapers, perhaps wrapped in wet cardboard with a green , freshcut sampling in the back as a spine. HEHE just my "unusual mind" rambling. Don't know where i would get real tatami mats without ordering them and that would only delay the review anyway. So send in yoru suggestions and enjoy the pics. |
Quick question...
Approximately how long is the grip (not including the grip-able part of the pommel, of course)?
"Rhaegar fought nobly.
Rhaegar fought valiantly.
Rhaegar fought honorably.
And Rhaegar died."
- G.R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire
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Joel Whitmore
Location: Simmesport, LA Joined: 25 Aug 2003
Posts: 342
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| Posted: Sun 14 Mar, 2004 6:02 am Post subject: Re: More images of the A&A 15th Century Two -hander |
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| Jeremiah Swanger wrote: | | Joel Whitmore wrote: | | I had a chance to take some more pics of the A&A Sword. I am also working on a full review for myArmoury, but that is not done yet. Found the COP to be about 22" from the tip adn the COB to be about 6" in front of the cross. The sword is not as heavy as I thought it to be with 5.6lbs on a rather cheap scale. I plan to weigh it on a much more accurate scale later this week. Also, I am looking for suggestions as to what to cut with this puppy. I could always do the 1/4" plywood. However, I was also thinking about rigging up a 30" diameter ...something.... of wet newspapers, perhaps wrapped in wet cardboard with a green , freshcut sampling in the back as a spine. HEHE just my "unusual mind" rambling. Don't know where i would get real tatami mats without ordering them and that would only delay the review anyway. So send in yoru suggestions and enjoy the pics. |
Quick question...
Approximately how long is the grip (not including the grip-able part of the pommel, of course)? |
The handle is 9 1/4" and the pommel is 4 3/4". I must say that the leather is soft but grippy and this is on of the most comfortable grips I have felt on any sword I have handled. Once again that big pommel really balances the blade out. The cross is 9 1/2" long. Jeremiah, one of the reasons I bought this sword is because of the shape of the blade. I absolutely love it. It is 2 1/2" wide dear the hilt but has a wonderful distal taper. It feels substantial, yes, but not overly heavy and is very manuverable. One of the main differences between this long of a blade and, say, a bastard sword, is the way the sword tracks. One has to really be aware of how much blade you have in front of you. I have still not gotten it down yet so I will keep practicing. What I am feeling from just goign through positions is that swords like this really work better with short, powerful cuts and not long, sweeping moves. This is just a feeling as I have not sparred with anyone. A full overhead cut would be devestating with a sword like this for sure. but if you miss your target or are defelcted, you had better recover quickly as all that blade has to be reigned in for defense. I would love to hear comments but someone who sparrs with a true two-hande like this one.
One more comment about the very first pic in this post. When you compare the A&A to the original you will notice that there is some wire braiding on the original that is not on the A&A sword. I talked to Craig about this and he said that the wire on the grip was a later addition and not original to the sword. A&A could have added it for me if I wanted it, but I chose not to go that route.
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A look down the comfortable handle!
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David McElrea
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| Posted: Sun 14 Mar, 2004 6:09 am Post subject: |
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Hi Joel,
Thanks for the great photos and description. It is a truly beautiful sword-- congratulations!
David
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Jeremiah Swanger
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| Posted: Sun 14 Mar, 2004 6:12 am Post subject: Re: More images of the A&A 15th Century Two -hander |
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| Joel Whitmore wrote: |
Jeremiah, one of the reasons I bought this sword is because of the shape of the blade. I absolutely love it. It is 2 1/2" wide dear the hilt but has a wonderful distal taper. It feels substantial, yes, but not overly heavy and is very manuverable. One of the main differences between this long of a blade and, say, a bastard sword, is the way the sword tracks. One has to really be aware of how much blade you have in front of you. I have still not gotten it down yet so I will keep practicing. What I am feeling from just goign through positions is that swords like this really work better with short, powerful cuts and not long, sweeping moves. This is just a feeling as I have not sparred with anyone. A full overhead cut would be devestating with a sword like this for sure. but if you miss your target or are deflected, you had better recover quickly as all that blade has to be reigned in for defense. I would love to hear comments but someone who sparrs with a true two-hande like this one.
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Yeah, I was really wondering how this sort of thing would be used in combat- despite its almost-pointy profile, it really doesn't strike me as a fencing sword, taking into account the hulking almost 6-pound weight (if it weren't for that, I would have considered this a Talhoffer sword). I would also be very interested to hear from someone who can spar with something like this- I'd love to know how something like this would be advantageous over a smaller, nimbler longsword...
"Rhaegar fought nobly.
Rhaegar fought valiantly.
Rhaegar fought honorably.
And Rhaegar died."
- G.R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire
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Bill Grandy
myArmoury Team
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| Posted: Sun 14 Mar, 2004 7:38 am Post subject: |
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My focus is much more on the longsword than the really large two handers, but the principles are basically the same. There are many renaissance fencing manuals that detail it's use from many masters such as Alfieri, Digrassi and Marozzo (though there are many others as well). You will see very similar stances and strikes to the shorter longsword.
Joel is correct in the fact that to make huge sweeping cuts will result in slow recovery, and in addition to that they will leave you open to attack before you can make your strike. But the leverage of the extra long blade and hilt will allow you to make smaller motions and still have devastating cuts. Thrusting is also a huge part of fighting with a two hander.
Gripping the ricasso area is something else that was very commonly done with a sword this size when an opponent has closed the distance, as well as half swording.
The two hander is a vey versatile weapon, and one of these days I'm going to have to crack down on studying it's differences to the longsword. But right now I think I have too many weapons that I'm trying to focus on, and adding more just means spreading myself too thin. 
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Joe Fults
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| Posted: Sun 14 Mar, 2004 8:26 pm Post subject: |
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Looks pretty close to the original.
"The goal shouldn’t be to avoid being evil; it should be to actively do good." - Danah Boyd
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Joe Maccarrone
Location: Burien, WA USA Joined: 19 Sep 2003
Posts: 190
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| Posted: Mon 15 Mar, 2004 12:45 am Post subject: Re: More images of the A&A 15th Century Two -hander |
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| Joel Whitmore wrote: | Also, I am looking for suggestions as to what to cut with this puppy. I could always do the 1/4" plywood.
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If you do the 1/4", you'll be in serious danger of bisecting the sheet and burying the blade tip in the ground. Had to pull up my A&A Claymore short, to avoid doing so...but I think I've told that story... 
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Joel Whitmore
Location: Simmesport, LA Joined: 25 Aug 2003
Posts: 342
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| Posted: Mon 15 Mar, 2004 2:41 pm Post subject: Re: More images of the A&A 15th Century Two -hander |
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| Joe Maccarrone wrote: | | Joel Whitmore wrote: | Also, I am looking for suggestions as to what to cut with this puppy. I could always do the 1/4" plywood.
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If you do the 1/4", you'll be in serious danger of bisecting the sheet and burying the blade tip in the ground. Had to pull up my A&A Claymore short, to avoid doing so...but I think I've told that story... |
HEHE Yeah Joe, you beast! With one of the first AT Type XIIa's I got a 30-something inch cut in some 1/4" plywood. I woudl think that with that medium when you get to large swords like this one and the claymore, the necessary height of the medium takes away from the cutting ability. From what you are telling me Joe ( amd I doubt you not), I'd probably need something like 4 1/2' to 5' tall sheet not to go through the target completely. Now this may sound rather sick, but I would like a medium that could approximate a human target. Again, I cannot affor tatami mats right now so I was thinking about enough rolled news paper ( soaked) to make a 30" or so diameter target. I know that someone spoke of phonebooks in another post. LOve to get ahold of some ballistic gellitin...just cause it'd be cool 
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Joe Maccarrone
Location: Burien, WA USA Joined: 19 Sep 2003
Posts: 190
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| Posted: Mon 15 Mar, 2004 11:26 pm Post subject: Re: More images of the A&A 15th Century Two -hander |
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[quote="Joel Whitmore"] | Joe Maccarrone wrote: | | Joel Whitmore wrote: | Also, I am looking for suggestions as to what to cut with this puppy. I could always do the 1/4" plywood.
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LOve to get ahold of some ballistic gellitin...just cause it'd be cool |
Swords into ballistic gello would be interesting! They would surely put these piddly handgun cartrdiges in perspective.
A sheet of 1/4" plywood 5'+ tall would probably cover it, and might also present challenges for setting up securely -- i.e. so it isn't too floppy. Would love to see some pics of what you come up with..
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Gary Grzybek
Location: Stillwater N.J. Joined: 25 Aug 2003
Posts: 559
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| Posted: Tue 16 Mar, 2004 5:35 am Post subject: |
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That's one beautiful sword Joe 
Enjoy!
Gary Grzybek
ARMA Northern N.J.
www.armastudy.org
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Felix Thieme
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| Posted: Thu 18 Mar, 2004 6:17 pm Post subject: |
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Just out of curiosity, how stiff would you say the blade is? I'm wondering because my atrim Ranger is a bit wippier than I would like, at least for thrusting.
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This is a standard topic