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Tom Kinder
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 Posted: Sat 27 Nov, 2010 10:10 am Post subject: A la cart sword building cooming soon. |
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I have been involved in a discussion about what it would take to for a vender to make a semi-custom a-la-cart style sword building menu over on SBG. in the thread I mentioned that Sonny Suttles has plans to offer something like the idea presented in the future for Valiant Armory swords but isn't ready to go there yet.
Well yesterday I got a call from Gus Trim who (saw the thread) told me that he and Christian Fletcher (and eventually Sonny too) will be launching an "A la cart" sword building menu on Christian's web site in the near future. in fact the first batch of swords for the project are going to ship to Christian very soon.
the first blades offered will be the 1557 and 1326 (I Turns out I had the wrong number, it is the 1326 which is a three fullered type XIII.) and they will each have their own selection of about 4 different pommels and 4 different cross guards available that the customer can pick and choose from to make their own combinations. more options are available if people are willing to throw in a little more cash, such as better grip shapes, leather-work, and better polish. I assume scabbard options will be available as well though Gus didn't mention it specifically. Gus plans to have more blades available for the project before long too so it shouldn't be limited to just those two swords. I currently have Gus building me a type XVI based off a prototype Mike Harris reviewed over at SBG that I really liked and Gus said that was a blade destined for the A-La-Cart sword project. I think the prices should be $450 to $750 depending on model and options selected.
sounds to me like a great deal and I thought I'd pass it along since I just heard about it. hopefully I posted this in the right place, sorry if I didn't.
EDITED to change the 1526 to 1326.
Last edited by Tom Kinder on Sat 27 Nov, 2010 2:20 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Christian Schlemmer
Location: Germany Joined: 13 Dec 2009
Posts: 48
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| Posted: Sat 27 Nov, 2010 10:52 am Post subject: |
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Hi Tom,
that are great news. Thank you for sharing.
I am looking forward to see this builder system ;-) This thing sound awesome.
Best wishes,
Christian
Die Hoffnung stirbt zuletzt
-Hope dies Last-
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Glen A Cleeton
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| Posted: Sat 27 Nov, 2010 11:24 am Post subject: |
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There had once been some options both on Christians old pages and through Josh Hemingway's All Saints business. The future looks to be an expansion and return to options. This new endeavor looks a bit more extensive, with more models offering alternates for guards and pommels. I'm wondering if the components will be cast and it would figure that those might make the option route easier on the parts supply end.
Cheers
GC
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Sean Flynt
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Tom Kinder
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| Posted: Sat 27 Nov, 2010 2:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Sean Flynt wrote: | | Does anybody know if the parts will be available individually? |
I just talked to Gus and got some more info.
the answer to Sean's question is, at the moment, a tentative "yes". Gus and Christian have talked about this and it seems like they will do it but there are some details they need to iron out. in the end it might fall through but the goal is to give it a whirl.
about the fittings, they will be machined by Gus. they would have liked to get castings done but right now that is not an option. pommels will be mostly wheel types but Gus specifically mentioned some scent stoppers. I asked about brazil nut or tea cozy pommels and he said it may be possible but those would require a lot more individual work and man hours to create and would therefor have to cost more. I would love to see it but I know Gus is a business man and the current economy is challenging him just like so many others, so I may just have to understand that brazil nut pommels are probably an item for a more comfortable future. Gus's recent fittings have been pretty nice though and a real step up from his old stock of ATrim classic bow-ties. he still has some bow-ties in the works but I've never seen an ATrim bow-tie with an ecoussion (oh gosh I mangled the spelling of that, and the spell checker doesn't help, sorry), he will have an assortment of style 2 guards (which have been some of my personal favorites from the stuff of Gus' I've seen recently) a wide style 6, and some others. Gus mentioned that the first set with the 1326 will probably have 5 or maybe 6 crosses to choose from and around 4 pommels so the options are growing.
I asked about permanent assembly options and he said that should be available and Christian will do that work, but it will be an option that must be purchased. otherwise the swords will come with the classic ATrim hex nut set-up.
it sounds like gus has plans for a handful of type XII blades and some later period longswords for later down the road as well as that XVI I am so excited about.
the only down side to all this is that in order to keep the base prices as low as possible Gus is going to spend less time polishing inside the fullers, so the old standard of machine marks in the bottom of the fullers will return. However, there should be an option to upgrade the fuller polish, so people who have decided they like the swords the way Gus has been making them the last several months and don't mind the higher price tag should still be able to get them that way.
Also Gus said that the new and improved edges are here to stay.
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