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Darrin Hughes
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 Posted: Mon 04 Feb, 2008 7:27 am Post subject: Pattern-welded 7th century sword from Paul Binns. |
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Hello all.
I went to pick up my new sword from Paul yesterday, and, as I said some time ago that I would post some pictures of the sword when I had it, here it is. This is the first sword that I have had made to order and I am really pleased with the outcome. I asked paul for a pattern-welded sword of the same period as the Sutton Hoo sword. But instead of the king's sword from the burial, I wanted something more business-like such as one af Raedwald's warriors might have taken into battle. Personally, I'd say that Paul has hit the nail on the head quite nicely.
Cheers,
Darrin.
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Etienne Hamel
Location: Granby (QC) canada Joined: 09 Sep 2006
Posts: 443
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| Posted: Mon 04 Feb, 2008 7:39 am Post subject: |
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It is a really good looking sword congratulation for your new sword! I love it  .
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Mike Arledge
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| Posted: Mon 04 Feb, 2008 7:40 am Post subject: |
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Looks really good. Is that bone or a faux ivory being used as aprt of the hilt? lovely pattern on the blade!
Mike J Arledge
The Dude Abides
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Jon H.
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| Posted: Mon 04 Feb, 2008 8:31 am Post subject: |
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Very nice sword! 
I'm also curious as to which type of wood was used for the grip.
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Justin King
Industry Professional
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| Posted: Mon 04 Feb, 2008 8:51 am Post subject: |
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That is very nice...I am not a huge fan of this period but every once in a while I see something that makes me reconsider.
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Darrin Hughes
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| Posted: Mon 04 Feb, 2008 9:13 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the responses.
I did mean to put some more info up earlier but the computer went a bit screwy as I was posting the first message and I had to re-boot. I was rather surprised when I logged back in and saw that the message was on the board, as I thought I'd lost it.
Anyway, the hilt is bronze with whalebone inserts. Hopefully, over time and with plenty of waxing and polishing, this should darken up quite nicely. The grip is leather which has already been quite heavily waxed; and it's going to get plenty more 
For those interested in dimensions the sword is a bit of a monster. The blade is 30.5 inches long and just over 2 inches wide at the guard. The grip is just 3 7/8 of an inch from guard to pommel, with the total length of the hilt being 5.75 inches. This gives a total length of just over 3 feet. The weight is 2lbs 11oz (1.2 Kg) and the point of balance is 7.5 inches from the guard.
As you can probably guess, and for those who aren't familiar with this period, these were not subtle swords like some of the later medieval ones. But, for something which could make a real impression on opponents armoured with helmet,mail, and shield, then this would be the lad for the job.
Cheers,
Darrin.
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Shamsi Modarai
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| Posted: Mon 04 Feb, 2008 12:21 pm Post subject: |
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This is just wonderful. As an enthusiast of this period, and especially Sutton-Hoo style, I am quite envious.  Good to know that there are those out there who can make such nice custom early medieval swords. Thanks so much for sharing!
Wa biš žam že sceal of langože leofes abidan.
~ The Wife's Lament
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Hugh Fuller
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| Posted: Mon 04 Feb, 2008 2:00 pm Post subject: |
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Darrin, that is just stunning and is a great example of that sort of transitional period from the Teutonic swords of the earlier Migration Era to the rather more sophisticated swords of what we call the Viking Era. It has a guard and pommel built up of bronze with organic material sandwiched in between as in the earlier Migration Era swords and a fully fullered blade as in the Viking Swords, hence the transitional status and I find it quite handsome. May I ask what sort of scabbard and suspension you intend for it?
Hugh
Still trying to walk in the Light
Please see 1 John 1:5
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Jared Smith
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| Posted: Mon 04 Feb, 2008 2:06 pm Post subject: |
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| Darrin Hughes wrote: | The grip is leather which has already been quite heavily waxed; and it's going to get plenty more
For those interested in dimensions the sword is a bit of a monster. The blade is 30.5 inches long and just over 2 inches wide at the guard. The grip is just 3 7/8 of an inch from guard to pommel, with the total length of the hilt being 5.75 inches. This gives a total length of just over 3 feet. The weight is 2lbs 11oz (1.2 Kg) and the point of balance is 7.5 inches from the guard. |
This actually sounds reasonable (maybe not dead on average, I don't know) for the type and era. You don't have a massive counterweight in the pommel, so the PoB is not vastly surprising. I really like the triple core twist pattern. Whale bone is an unusual, but, nice touch as well.
You might be cautious on the leather treatment. There can be too much of a good thing as far as repeated and unnecessary drenching with conditioners! Long term, the leather will be perishable no matter what you do. If this is a pampered in door sword, I would be surprised if you really needed to re-treat it much more often than once per year. If you can name the finish, others who work with it will probably advise better than I. Carnuba wax can last a long time if you are not dragging it through water. Too much, however, will make it too soft.
Absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence!
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Tim Lison
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| Posted: Mon 04 Feb, 2008 9:58 pm Post subject: |
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Wow! Great looking sword. Is this sword sharp and meant for cutting? It looks as though it is but I know Paul Binns usually does reenactment pieces.....
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Ville Vinje
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| Posted: Tue 05 Feb, 2008 3:02 am Post subject: |
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Beautiful sword!
I have said it before and it can be said again, Paul get far less credit than he deserves.
Congrats!
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Darrin Hughes
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| Posted: Tue 05 Feb, 2008 4:05 am Post subject: |
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Thanks again for the positive responses, and to Jared for the heads up on the wax, I'll go easy
I think you're right about the POB. Given that these were predominantly cutting swords to be used with a shield, and there wasn't really a lot of metal available for the pommels other than what was needed to hold it all together, then I think a fair bit of blade presence is to be expected. As for the whale-bone, Paul had some to spare and I rather liked the idea. I think he originally wanted to go with buffalo horn, which would have been impressive, but we couldn't get hold of any so the whale-bone it is. Personally I rather like it. And of course it shows that there were other materials that could be used instead of wood.
Hugh, I think it is the constantly evolving nature of these swords that makes them so interesting, as we touched on in another thread recently, with the way swords in Northern Europe moved from Roman to Germanic/Scandinavian to eventually arrive at this, which is arguably the archetypal Migration Era sword type. I'm hoping to get a scabbard done in the same pattern as the Sutton Hoo one, but in keeping with the general concept it should be toned down some, without all the gold or semi-precious stones. This could be a while though as I already have two other swords out having scabbards done and I've only got so much money 
Cheers,
Darrin.
ps, yes it is sharp. I know that Paul is mainly known for his re-enactment kit, but I think he does a fair bit of custom stuff when asked. As I understand it, he is getting a new web-site done sometime soon, to better reflect this.
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Allen Andrews
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| Posted: Tue 05 Feb, 2008 7:29 am Post subject: |
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I really like the pattern of the blade. Pattern welding always adds interest to a piece, obviously visually, but I also appreciate the added work that goes into it.
" I would not snare even an orc with a falsehood. "
Faramir son of Denethor
Words to live by. (Yes, I know he's not a real person)
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Brandon Minton
Location: Indianapolis, IN Joined: 13 Feb 2006
Posts: 21
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| Posted: Tue 05 Feb, 2008 8:07 am Post subject: |
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Now that sword qualifies for a title like Jule's wallet in Pulp Fiction. Fantastic.
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Gary A. Chelette
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| Posted: Tue 05 Feb, 2008 9:19 am Post subject: |
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Outstanding!
Very good looking blade!
Are you scared, Connor?
No, Cousin Dugal. I'm not!
Don't talk nonsense, man. I peed my kilt the first time I went into battle.
Oh, aye. Angus pees his kilt all the time!
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S. Christiansen
Location: South Jutland, Denmark Joined: 25 Aug 2007
Posts: 79
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| Posted: Wed 06 Feb, 2008 8:20 am Post subject: |
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| Ville Vinje wrote: | | I have said it before and it can be said again, Paul get far less credit than he deserves. |
No doubt about it. That's a beautiful sword. I knew he was good at pattern welding, but that's just incredible.
Regards,
Sonni
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David Huggins
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| Posted: Mon 11 Feb, 2008 11:27 am Post subject: |
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That's very nice Darrin, as you say Paul doesn't always get the credit he deserves. I have a very nice pattern welded spear head and migration period seax by Paul, done a few years ago.
Just waiting for Patrick Barta to start a copy of the Valsgarde 7 ring pomelled sword and scabbard, and no doub't like you was, excited about it's completion but this will be some time away. Thorkil is also doing a copy of the Valsgarde 6 helm which should be completed about May June.
best regards
Dave
and he who stands and sheds blood with us, shall be as a brother.
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Darrin Hughes
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| Posted: Tue 12 Feb, 2008 8:08 am Post subject: |
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Thanks again for the comments.
David. I checked back to the Valsgarde helmet that you posted pictures of last year as I thought this rang a bell. That was a belter, so I'll be looking forward to seeing pictures of the next one. Personally, as with the sword, I'm looking for something a little less high status, possibly one of Tim Noyes early Saxon Helms.
As far as looking forward to a new piece arriving is concerned, I'm afraid I'm not too good at the waiting game. Having bought, sold, and traded, many guitars over the years I've seen a fair few horrors. Since I started collecting Arms & Armor I've had a couple of minor upsets as well. This means that nowadays, if I think about it at all, it's just to hope that what I get is what I actually asked for. 
That said, I'm already in discussion with Paul about the next project, so it can't be all bad.
Cheers,
Darrin.
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S. Christiansen
Location: South Jutland, Denmark Joined: 25 Aug 2007
Posts: 79
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| Posted: Fri 15 Feb, 2008 7:25 am Post subject: |
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| Darrin Hughes wrote: | That said, I'm already in discussion with Paul about the next project, so it can't be all bad.
Cheers,
Darrin. |
Just out of curiosity, what is the next thing for Paul to do for you? Personally I'm having a Petersen type D winged spear head made by him soon. I think it's going to be great.
Regards,
Sonni
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Darrin Hughes
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| Posted: Sat 16 Feb, 2008 5:24 am Post subject: |
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Hello Sonni.
We're talking about something based on one of the Kragehul bog swords. (Example 3 in the pre-cursors section of Records..). Paul is talking to a silversmith friend of his about having the hilt made, as it is silver over a wooden core, and we are waiting to see if he is up for it. And how much it would cost.
The blade is an interesting one in that the pattern-welding consists of 4 narrow bundles and we've talked about the possibilty of alternating, or perhaps mirroring the pattern, with some twisted sections, and some piled.
I've also asked about a Dane Axe, but the sword is the main project, with Paul hopefully doing the blade and his mate doing the hilt. I certainly hope that we can make this happen as it should be really impressive.
Cheers,
Darrin.
ps, I had the chance to check out some of his spear-heads when I picked up my sword and I don't imagine that you will be disappointed.
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