Does anyone know any good references for makers, marks, and/or correlations between time period of manufacture and form of schiavone? Were there specific locations (say, cities?) where swords of this type were made? Were any specific engravings or blade decorations common to schiavone?

Thanks,

John Sinko

In my country there are four guys able to make excellent reconstructions of schiavona, which would be fully usable and as efficient in battle as the originals.

But Schiavona was mostly used in Czech, Venice, northern Italy and sometimes in neighbouring countries. Best reference of schiavonas would be to look into Czechishe museums like the one in castle Levoca or in Spisky Hrad, where you can find very well conserved schiavonas. There is also a good series of well conserved Schaivonas in museum of Zamość in Poland.

About the engravinfgs, I myself never met with any on those swords I have seen, the only carvings were the so called Venetian Cats that were finishing the pommel in ventian schiavonas and few very standard type of sword finishing.

here you have some photos from the museum of Prague:

http://picasaweb.google.pl/muzeaXVII/Praga#5249163802281635730

museum of Liw
http://picasaweb.google.pl/muzeaXVII/MuzeumLi...3410655042

http://picasaweb.google.pl/muzeaXVII/MuzeumLi...6811546946


Vea!

Although not in my historical period, neither geographical region, schiavona is one of my most favourite swords. Yet another one - this examle is exhibited in the Slovak Historical Museum, Bratislava

http://bbedrosov.snimka.bg/hobby/slovashki-is...40.5858215

http://bbedrosov.snimka.bg/hobby/slovashki-is...40.5858216