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Justin Wolfe
Location: America Joined: 15 Apr 2010
Posts: 6
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 Posted: Thu 22 Jul, 2010 4:23 pm Post subject: Help identifying a sword (My first post) |
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Hey fellas, I'm pretty sure this is my first post. I need some help identifying a sword. Anything you might know would help.
 Attachment: 28.85 KB
It's the one on the right.
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Nathan Quarantillo
Location: Eastern Panhandle WV, USA Joined: 14 Aug 2009
Posts: 281
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| Posted: Thu 22 Jul, 2010 7:01 pm Post subject: |
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Hi, Welcome to myArmoury! 
As far as that sword goes, a lot has to do with that blade. I'm having trouble telling weather it is blade have the wavy pattern of the left one (to a lesser degree) or if thats the camera and my bad eyes.
Wavy blade=early/mid 16th century, stereotypical Zweihander, made famous my Landsknecht doppelsoldners.
If blade is straight, It could be dated as early as late 15th century, as thats when side rings and simple compound hilts such as that start surfacing (and big swords were in fashion also)
The use in both periods was strictly infantry (but you probably knew that) and (obviously) two handed use was required. These were big swords used by big guys. Lots of armour would be preferable, as you are gonna attract a lot of attention with these things, and the enormous length and wavy blade pattern (works hell on your distal taper I'd think) would make the sword somewhat slow (not to be translated as cumbersome or unwieldy). Although that reach in itself is also a defense.
In a Landsknecht's hands, this thing would be an anti-pike weapon. used to push big gaps in a pike wall to disrupt the enemy formation and allow your own soldiers past their pike wall defense. It was also said to be able to chop the pike tips off. if it's dated to the earlier period, It probably wouldn't be so specialized in use, but the tactics would still apply, as pike tactics were widespread then too.
Well I hope that can hold you over until a more educated forumite can get to you.
“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche
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Nathan Robinson
myArmoury Admin
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| Posted: Thu 22 Jul, 2010 7:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Nathan Quarantillo wrote: | | As far as that sword goes, a lot has to do with that blade. I'm having trouble telling weather it is blade have the wavy pattern of the left one (to a lesser degree) or if thats the camera and my bad eyes. |
It's a badly-resized image. The sword on the right has straight edges.
It a two-handed sword in the style of a mid- to late-16th century sword, but may be a later make. It's difficult to identify anything in the poor photo.
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Justin Wolfe
Location: America Joined: 15 Apr 2010
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Thu 22 Jul, 2010 7:20 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks guys, sorry that's the only picture I could find. I don't really expect to get much info, but it's worth a try.
Last edited by Justin Wolfe on Thu 22 Jul, 2010 7:22 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Nathan Quarantillo
Location: Eastern Panhandle WV, USA Joined: 14 Aug 2009
Posts: 281
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| Posted: Thu 22 Jul, 2010 7:22 pm Post subject: |
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Geez, thats not waves? does anyone have a good image for more accurate information about the piece?
I don't mean to dispute (the other) Nathan, but I think such a sword could be an earlier specimen, as the hilt is relatively simple. Side rings are cropping up by the late 15th cent, and it wouldn't look out of place in some of Landsknecht illustrations from earlier years in the 16th cent.
However, It's cataloging with the other sword, which is SCREAMING mid late 16th cent, means that you are probably correct on the dating.
“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche
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Sam Barris
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| Posted: Thu 22 Jul, 2010 7:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Nathan Robinson wrote: | | It's a badly-resized image. The sword on the right has straight edges. |
It does look that way, but why doesn't the effect extend to the guard? I would have thought that the entire image would be similarly distorted.
Pax,
Sam Barris
"Any nation that draws too great a distinction between its scholars and its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards, and its fighting done by fools." —Thucydides
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Nathan Robinson
myArmoury Admin
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| Posted: Thu 22 Jul, 2010 8:00 pm Post subject: |
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| Sam Barris wrote: | | Nathan Robinson wrote: | | It's a badly-resized image. The sword on the right has straight edges. |
It does look that way, but why doesn't the effect extend to the guard? I would have thought that the entire image would be similarly distorted. |
It does. The whole image was resized using "nearest neighbor" interpolation. Artifacts exist across the entire image.
.:. Visit my Collection Gallery :: View my Reading List :: View my Wish List :: See Pages I Like :: Find me on Facebook .:.
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Jean Thibodeau
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| Posted: Thu 22 Jul, 2010 8:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Nathan Robinson wrote: | | Sam Barris wrote: | | Nathan Robinson wrote: | | It's a badly-resized image. The sword on the right has straight edges. |
It does look that way, but why doesn't the effect extend to the guard? I would have thought that the entire image would be similarly distorted. |
It does. The whole image was resized using "nearest neighbor" interpolation. Artifacts exist across the entire image. |
Trust me Nathan is right.  I worked in video for years in the stone age of low resolution and nasty stair stepping because of low resolution and tearing in video special effects made even worse if the wrong coding codex was used.
You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
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Thomas R.
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| Posted: Fri 23 Jul, 2010 6:31 am Post subject: |
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Look at those almost similar shaped rings on the guards. I suspect these two are later repros done by the same swordmaker. But as Nathan said: the picture is badly resized.
http://maerenundlobebaeren.tumblr.com/
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Dave Leppo
Location: Dover, PA, USA Joined: 24 Feb 2010
Posts: 38
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| Posted: Fri 23 Jul, 2010 7:09 am Post subject: |
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Think I found the source of the photos (or another reproduction thereof):
http://www.thearma.org/essays/2HGS.html scroll down a little
unfortunately, I didn't notice any pic. credits herein, but some other interesting data.
-Dave
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Nathan Robinson
myArmoury Admin
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Sam Barris
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| Posted: Mon 26 Jul, 2010 9:22 am Post subject: |
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| Nathan Robinson wrote: | | It does. The whole image was resized using "nearest neighbor" interpolation. Artifacts exist across the entire image. |
| Jean Thibodeau wrote: | | Trust me Nathan is right. I worked in video for years in the stone age of low resolution and nasty stair stepping because of low resolution and tearing in video special effects made even worse if the wrong coding codex was used. |
Oh, I believe you both. I'm still not sure I'm quite seeing it myself, but I'll take your word for it. Both of you have greater experience in these matters than than I. 
Pax,
Sam Barris
"Any nation that draws too great a distinction between its scholars and its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards, and its fighting done by fools." —Thucydides
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Scott Hrouda
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| Posted: Mon 26 Jul, 2010 11:03 am Post subject: |
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Greetings Justin!
Have you attempted to contact Mr. John Clements? He is the ARMA Director and the author of the article "The Weighty Issue of Two-Handed Greatswords". I'm sure that either he or someone else within ARMA would be able to help you source the photograph.
...and that, my liege, is how we know the Earth to be banana shaped. - Sir Bedevere
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Justin Wolfe
Location: America Joined: 15 Apr 2010
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Mon 26 Jul, 2010 6:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Scott Hrouda wrote: | Greetings Justin!
Have you attempted to contact Mr. John Clements? He is the ARMA Director and the author of the article "The Weighty Issue of Two-Handed Greatswords". I'm sure that either he or someone else within ARMA would be able to help you source the photograph. |
I may just end up doing that. Good idea. To be honest though, it was really just a passing interest. See, I came into some spare money recently and I was thinking of getting my grubby hands on a custom sword. I thought the sword in question would be a good starting point for my own design.
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Scott Hrouda
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| Posted: Mon 26 Jul, 2010 7:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Justin Wolfe wrote: | | I may just end up doing that. Good idea. To be honest though, it was really just a passing interest. See, I came into some spare money recently and I was thinking of getting my grubby hands on a custom sword. I thought the sword in question would be a good starting point for my own design. |
I could use a riveted mail hauberk, depending on how much "spare money" you have! I don't know enough about quality, custom weapons to be much help. There are plenty of knowledgeable folks here that would love to help you though. Good luck!
...and that, my liege, is how we know the Earth to be banana shaped. - Sir Bedevere
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Harry J. Fletcher
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| Posted: Mon 26 Jul, 2010 8:43 pm Post subject: |
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There is a picture of a sword similar to this in Weapon, A Visual History of Arms and Armour by DK Publishing which shows a parade zweihander or doppelsoddner sword quite similar to this. Most swords of this type for practical use had a straight edge as the the book says about the 16th century.
Regards,
Harry
To Study The Edge of History
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This is a standard topic