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Forum Index > Historical Arms Talk > The OlliNSword Polish Hussar Saber Reply to topic
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Matthew G.M. Korenkiewicz




Location: Michigan, USA
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PostPosted: Mon 23 Feb, 2009 2:29 pm    Post subject: The OlliNSword Polish Hussar Saber         Reply with quote

Gentlefolk, allow me to present, courtesy of the talented Brothers Grzybowski at OlliNSword Design,
the recently arrived OllinSword Polish Hussar Saber ...

The inspiration for the Project is what I believe to be the drawing of a historical saber from W. Zablocki's
legendary book of Polish War Sabers ...


OllinSword's design. I believe we hashed out the details in two or three takes. I originally was
looking at a 35 - 36 inch blade, but 33 inches was the agreed upon length ( not too oddly this decision
was based on the blade length of a Cold Steel saber which is 33 inches ). I think in this picture of
the design you can see one the " patches " I used to introduce suggestions / changes ...


The blade takes shape ...




The " back edge " ... I was very interested in this blade shape because I believed it would cause
the future scabbard-maker less-trouble. You can also see how exact the gents at OllinSword
were with the details ...



The L-Hilt takes shape. You can see where and how the thumb-ring will be placed and
attached. I recall Mark G. discussing in one of his up-dates that positioning the paluch proved
to demand a bit of trial and error before he felt it was right ...



Now the leather wrap and butt-cap ...


And finally ...





Last edited by Matthew G.M. Korenkiewicz on Tue 24 Feb, 2009 12:48 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Dan Dickinson
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Location: Michigan
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PostPosted: Mon 23 Feb, 2009 2:51 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Congrats, Matthew, on another fine sabre...and a well done as always to the boys at Ollin !
Dan
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Tim Lison




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PostPosted: Mon 23 Feb, 2009 9:07 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

They really do great stuff at OlliN! This one is no exception! The grinding on the blade looks perfect! Mark is quite the perfectionist when it comes to that sort of detail and this saber is a great peice for him to show his talent. Lovely sword you have there! Thanks for sharing.
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Sa'ar Nudel




Location: Haifa, Israel
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PostPosted: Tue 24 Feb, 2009 1:08 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

That's very nice Matthew, an adequate sister to the Black saber. I like in particular the aged finish on the guard. This post is of great help to me, I have a very similar blade (unmarked old & original military issue) ready at hand and I was looking for inspiration. I'm not going, however, to copy your saber. Cool
Curator of Beit Ussishkin, regional nature & history museum, Upper Galilee.
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Matthew G.M. Korenkiewicz




Location: Michigan, USA
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PostPosted: Tue 24 Feb, 2009 6:46 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Dan Dickinson wrote:
Congrats, Matthew, on another fine sabre...and a well done as always to the boys at Ollin !
Dan


Thanks, Dan. As you know, we'll be discussing some business in the near future. B-)
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Matthew G.M. Korenkiewicz




Location: Michigan, USA
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PostPosted: Tue 24 Feb, 2009 7:00 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Tim Lison wrote:
They really do great stuff at OlliN! This one is no exception! The grinding on the blade looks perfect! Mark is quite the perfectionist when it comes to that sort of detail and this saber is a great peice for him to show his talent. Lovely sword you have there! Thanks for sharing.



Hi Tim, I remember the custom saber you had worked on by OllinSword. Up to my
decision to commission them I hadn't seen any evidence on their website that they'd do
justice to the curve and shape of the blade. It appeared that the best choices to get this
type of sword done were NOT going to be here in the states -- as some recommended
European makers such as Vladimir Cervenka or Patrick Barta.

I agree that Mark did an exceptional job. I provided as much information and photos as
possible, and all can see how true he was to the basic inspiration and the agreed upon
design.

I'd like nothing more than to see OllinSword hi-light this piece on their website, or
have Mark discuss the making of the blade, etc. But I'm not sure he'd have the time to
do so ....
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Matthew G.M. Korenkiewicz




Location: Michigan, USA
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PostPosted: Tue 24 Feb, 2009 7:23 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Sa'ar Nudel wrote:
That's very nice Matthew, an adequate sister to the Black saber. I like in particular the aged finish on the guard. This post is of great help to me, I have a very similar blade (unmarked old & original military issue) ready at hand and I was looking for inspiration. I'm not going, however, to copy your saber. Cool


Hiya Sa'ar, knew I could trust you to pop in here, sir ! B-)

Oh I think we're definitely going to have some fun comparing the differences and similarities
of Paolo's Black Saber and Ollin's Hussar Saber. And if these projects have brought
some inspiration to your own hopes and designs for a future project ? GREAT ! For myself, I
can tell you -- and I know we're just talking about our interest in swords here -- between Paolo
and Ollin, my hopes and spirits have been immeasureably lifted by the creation of these two
unique weapons. And not only that, but my faith in this little corner industry of sword makers
and craftsmen.

What I've often repeated about the evolution of these sabers in the 16th - 17th centuries is the
variety of blade styles and hilt styles. Once again, I think there will be quiet suggestions that the
hilt of this sword is " over-built " or that certain details don't look " historically accurate " ... well,
the hilt WAS meant to be a beefy jaw-breaker -- I remember increasing the size when still in
the drawing / design stage, and I recall Mark mentioning the weight.

And as far as historical accuracy is concerned, for me -- and again I repeat myself -- there has
ALWAYS appeared to be a great variety of styles. I just have to believe the evolution of such could
easily have included big beasty choppers like The Black Saber as well as slightly more
elegant slicers like The OllinSword Hussar ....

Lastly, Sa'ar, I'd love to see a picture of your blade if possible !
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Chris Last




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PostPosted: Tue 24 Feb, 2009 7:42 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Wonderful work! The OlliN team continues to impress! The shaping of the blade is particularly elegant.
" Hang fires are all fun and games untill someone gets their eye poked out... by charging calvary." - J.Shoemaker

Chris Last
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Lee O'Hagan




Location: Northamptonshire,England
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PostPosted: Tue 24 Feb, 2009 11:59 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Cool
Really nice sabre,
in the ninth pic,is the internal of the guard ground away slightly or blackened,
Two fantastic sabres in as many months,
the first you posted is a stunner,this one is nearly as nice Wink but as stand alone sabres they are great see,
more so as i know you waited a long time for both to fill a void,
what you gonna find to take up your time next Big Grin
Well done Ollin,
and as i hadnt posted,well done Paolo,Antonio,and yourself for digging deep and putting the funds up. Cool
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Matthew G.M. Korenkiewicz




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PostPosted: Tue 24 Feb, 2009 12:34 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Chris Last wrote:
Wonderful work! The OlliN team continues to impress! The shaping of the blade is particularly elegant.


It is wonderful work, Chris. I do hope the gents at OlliN come in to take a look at everyone's
thoughts if not make a comment. They really should feel great about what I emailed them as
a fantastic result.

I'll be doing some measuring, which I've purposefully neglected, and I believe what will come
out about my two L-hilted sabers is that the blades, while immediately different to the eye,
possess distinct traits that enable them to -- if you will -- survive their " size " ...
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Matthew G.M. Korenkiewicz




Location: Michigan, USA
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PostPosted: Tue 24 Feb, 2009 12:45 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Lee O'Hagan wrote:
Cool
Really nice sabre,
in the ninth pic,is the internal of the guard ground away slightly or blackened,
Two fantastic sabres in as many months,
the first you posted is a stunner,this one is nearly as nice Wink but as stand alone sabres they are great see,
more so as i know you waited a long time for both to fill a void,
what you gonna find to take up your time next Big Grin
Well done Ollin,
and as i hadnt posted,well done Paolo,Antonio,and yourself for digging deep and putting the funds up. Cool


They are certainly fantastic, Lee. I can tell you when I'm home, sitting before them on their stands,
I haven't yet NOT taken a few minutes to scope their crafted lines; trying to imagine how I can photo
them to display as many distinct traits as possible ...

By the internal of the guard, if you mean the thumb-ring, it struck me that Mark was very intelligent
with his regards for first, how he would fashion / fit this detail to the sword, and second how he knew
the inside of the thumb-ring needed to be silky-smooth, if you will, to accomodate the bare thumb ( or
gloved thumb ) without a rough spot.

If you mean the inside of the L-part of the hilt, I'm sure he did shape it, and it is as blacked as the
rest of the hilt ...

Quote:
... digging deep and putting the funds up ...


What I CAN say about funding, Lee, is this : Like many of the relatively expensive Albion Swords
I've purchased in the past, these two projects were funded by selling off some of my finest pieces.
And I had no idea how much I would need to save.

An Albion Koln Spatha with Christian Fletcher rig and scabbard.
A Atrim Backsword with Christian Fletcherized hilt and CF scabbard.
An Albion Munich.
Just to name a few.
Throw in 2 - 4 years of budgetting here and there for the project.

I think you get the idea. B-)
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Lee O'Hagan




Location: Northamptonshire,England
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PostPosted: Tue 24 Feb, 2009 1:06 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Hi Matt,
The thumb ring is very well done,but i meant the internal of the L part,it looks as if its been ground out in the pic,
ground or blackened it looks very well done,
i know exactly what you mean about budgeting through + years,but i think you'd agree the results are more than worth the sacrifice,
you let go of some fine pieces,i know,i was seriousley tempted to pm about a couple, Big Grin
when you get the right sword the novelty tends not to wear off,lol,
congrats again and may they serve you as long as you need them Cool
i'l look forward to your next project.
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Matthew G.M. Korenkiewicz




Location: Michigan, USA
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PostPosted: Thu 26 Feb, 2009 12:38 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Quote:
... I'll look forward to your next project.


I think the next step will be fashioning a scabbard for this sword, Lee. Here's
another view of the grip and hilt.



And a little different viewpoint ...

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Sa'ar Nudel




Location: Haifa, Israel
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PostPosted: Fri 27 Feb, 2009 2:30 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Here is my saber blade, the best pic I could get indoors, in reality the blade retains most of its original polish and so colorful Razz
It is 32" long excluding the tang, which is broken and needs to be repaired. Otherwise condition is great, it was mounted in the past and has seen only the slightest use. There is a nice distal taper, edge is sharp and the last 4" of the false edge are sharp as well, sort of flush yelmen.



 Attachment: 80.03 KB
saber blade.JPG


Curator of Beit Ussishkin, regional nature & history museum, Upper Galilee.
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Matthew G.M. Korenkiewicz




Location: Michigan, USA
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PostPosted: Mon 02 Mar, 2009 10:10 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Interesting blade, Sa'ar, thanks for sharing ! Do you think an extension can be propperly
welded / attached to the tang ? I suppose that would be the question for a maker / smith.
One of the qualities of my OlliNSword Hussar is -- as you can tell -- a very full tang, which
strikes me as a powerful anchor for rest of the blade ...
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Sa'ar Nudel




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PostPosted: Mon 02 Mar, 2009 12:57 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Matthew, you concern is not underestimated. There was a thread here not long ago, regarding the quality of tang welding. This is not the first time I have to repair a broken tang, when an expert do it the joint becomes solid and strong as an integral piece. I have an access to such an expert, an engineer/metallurgist/blacksmith who takes the task very seriously - he perform a homogenous weld, grind and look for cracks/gaps, weld again if necessary and of course protects the temper. After he finishes - a "brutality test" to see if it holds.
Curator of Beit Ussishkin, regional nature & history museum, Upper Galilee.
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Matthew G.M. Korenkiewicz




Location: Michigan, USA
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PostPosted: Tue 03 Mar, 2009 6:56 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Hey, Sa'ar ... got a question for you :

Any chance you know / have / or suspect what the typical dimensions
might be for sabers made during the 16th - 17th - 18th centuries -- in
Poland, Russian, those areas ???

Its pretty obvious to anyone who's tuned in to this thread or my other
thread on Paolo Abrera's Black Saber that each of my sabers
possess some unusual dimensions. For instance, the blade of my
OlliN Hussar is 1.5 inches wide at the languets while the blade
of my Black Saber is 1 and 3/8ths of an inch wide at the same
spot. Meanwhile the spine of the Black Saber starts at about
1/4 of an inch, and narrows to about 3/16ths of an inch; while the
OlliN Hussar starts at 1/4 of an inch, but narrows considerably
more; down to shade under 1/16th -- at about the same place, where
the yelman / backedge begins.

Obviously they each weigh in differently too. I don't have a very good
scale, but can tell you the Black Saber is heavier, and the blade
stiffer while OlliN Hussar is lighter ( still weighty, though) but
flexible ...

Of course, ANYONE with ANY thoughts on stats, please chyme in !!!!!
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Matthew G.M. Korenkiewicz




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PostPosted: Tue 03 Mar, 2009 8:26 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

For Instance :

I'm going to assume that the numbers, or some of the numbers in the
Zablocki illustration above are in millimeters.

Blade Length appears to be : 915 mm = in inches : 36.02 inches
Blade Width appears to be : 37 mm = in inches : 1.45 inches
Length Of Knuckle guard : 103 mm = in inches : 4 inches

Compared to similar measurements on my OlliN Hussar :

Blade Length : 33 inches
Blade Width : 1.5 inches
Knuckle Gaurd : 4.5 inches

That is of course if the measurements are in millimeters. Pretty good comparison
though ????
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Sa'ar Nudel




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PostPosted: Tue 03 Mar, 2009 1:49 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

One good example I could find with measurements is a Hussar officer's saber from the late 17th c. - early 18th c., in the book Bron Katalog Zbiorow. Fully enclosed hilt with a thumb ring, complexed blade without yelmen.
Overall length 970 mm
blade 850 mm
hilt 120 mm
width of blade 40 mm
distal taper goes from 8 mm to 4 mm.

Curator of Beit Ussishkin, regional nature & history museum, Upper Galilee.
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Matthew G.M. Korenkiewicz




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PostPosted: Wed 04 Mar, 2009 12:41 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Sa'ar Nudel wrote:
One good example I could find with measurements is a Hussar officer's saber from
the late 17th c. - early 18th c., in the book Bron Katalog Zbiorow. Fully enclosed hilt with a thumb ring,
complexed blade without yelmen.

Overall length 970 mm
blade 850 mm
hilt 120 mm
width of blade 40 mm
distal taper goes from 8 mm to 4 mm.


Thankyou, Sa'ar ( it would be cool if you could post a pic, I know I know -- me and my pics, eh ? ).
But once again this fits into one of my opinions / assumptions that the sabers during this period
had a variety of characteristics -- blade length and width, for instance.

What I'm beginning to wonder, and this leaps off-topic, is not so much questioning the accuracy
of modern-made replicas -- such as swords made by Albion, Arms & Armour, etc etc -- but just
addressing the topic conversationally. For instance, how well preserved is an item studied and
measured for replication ? IS there a degree of deterioration that can only be guessed at ?

I always enjoy the threads here at myArmoury in which someone presents either a modern made
replica of a historical sword, or a historical sword that they'd like to see a modern made replica
made from. Unfortunately for my relatively uneducated self ( when it comes to grasping the history
of sword-making ), I'm loath to shot-put my musings into some discussions ...
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