Regripping a Windlass war sword -- myArmoury.com

Antonio Ganarini · Posted: Thu 26 Apr, 2012 1:04 am Post subject: Regripping a Windlass war sword

Hi everyone!
Waiting for my first Del Tin, I came across this Windlass "War Sword", definitively much cheaper than a Del Tin, but I think it's not bad at all! In effect... I like it very much! Happy

Here are some specs:

Blade: 36”
Overall: 44 ½”
Blade Width: 2”
Weight: 3 lbs
PoB: 5 ½”

The grip is bare wood (I actually don't know which type of wood), with a piece of gut stitched over the shaped central section. The metal wires are only decorative elements! The pommel is screwed.
I tried it with and without gauntlets: while without gaunts the gripping is quite confortable, with gauntlets I found it terrible, maybe for the central rising that doesn't allow a good hold (below are some photos of the grip).

So, I want to regrip it, but I'm not an expert at all, this would be my first attempt, so I would be grateful to everyone could help me!
I think to remove the gut, make plane the central section, maybe to machine the entire wood core to make it thinner, wrap around it a hemp twine with some glue only at the top and bottom of the grip and finally apply some type of leather (I don't know which type is better for such a work)...

Antonio Ganarini · Posted: Thu 26 Apr, 2012 1:17 am Post subject:

Here's a picture of the sword!

Sean Flynt · Posted: Thu 26 Apr, 2012 9:04 am Post subject:

There's a tutorial/photos in this OLD article: http://www.myArmoury.com/feature_bench_ws_estoc.html

Joel Chesser · Posted: Thu 26 Apr, 2012 10:12 am Post subject:

Also check out these links:

http://www.yeoldegaffers.com/project_grip.asp

http://forums.dfoggknives.com/index.php?showtopic=15010&st=0

Good luck on the project, I'm interested to see how it comes out.

Antonio Ganarini · Posted: Thu 26 Apr, 2012 1:55 pm Post subject:

Thank you very much!!
I'll post the photos of the 'workinprogress' and result!

Antonio Ganarini · Posted: Thu 26 Apr, 2012 11:40 pm Post subject:

Oops... Just another question:
I decided to wrap the wood core with twine and, over it, leather... Do I have to glue all the hemp to the wood core, or a small amount of glue only at top/bottom could be enough to make it to remain tight in place? So, I think, I could better preserve the core for another future regripping!

Sean Flynt · Posted: Fri 27 Apr, 2012 7:40 am Post subject:

Antonio Ganarini · Posted: Fri 27 Apr, 2012 9:32 am Post subject:

Ok! Understood!
Thanks a billion!

Antonio Ganarini · Posted: Tue 01 May, 2012 5:24 am Post subject:

Hi!!!
Today I've finished my regripping! Much better than I had expected!
I really thank you all, especially Sean and Joel, for your precious tutorials & articles & advices!

Some realization details:
I removed about a 30% of the wood core with a simple pocketknife to make it thinner, then I wrapped around it hemp twine (diameter ca. 1mm), filling the grooves remained after the "slimming" with more thick twine. I used polyacetovinylic glue for wood.
I put over the wrapped core chamois leather previously skived and soaked, glueing and overwrappig it gradually. For the overwrap I used the same hemp twine of the inner layer.
Once dry, I applyed brown shoe polish (I cannot find the correct natural dye!) and wax!

Thank you again, may the force be with you all! Wink

Joel Chesser · Posted: Tue 01 May, 2012 3:29 pm Post subject:

Congratulations! That came out very nicely, you should be very proud!

Antonio Ganarini · Posted: Wed 02 May, 2012 6:53 am Post subject:

Thank you Joel! I'm actually very glad of this little work! Primarly because it was very funny trying to glue everything together, clung to an home-made vise, with glue almost everywhere! But I had good masters! Laughing Out Loud

Sean Flynt · Posted: Wed 02 May, 2012 7:32 am Post subject:

It's a clear improvement! I've seen this sword many times and never taken a second look at it because of that awful grip, but you've proven that it has real potential as a project sword. Cool

Antonio Ganarini · Posted: Tue 20 Nov, 2012 1:02 am Post subject:

Hi everyone! Happy

Now's scabbard time! I would like to turn the classical windlass scabbard of the sword above into a more historical one (without magical spells, of course)!
The target is 1340-1360, tools, knowledge and craftsmanship are limited, so I really need your help!

I looked for sources in Oakeshott's books, and I found that the problem could be solved with a two ring hanger, one high just under the mouth of the scabbard on one side of the upper locket, another on the other side, near the lower brim of the same locket. The only concern with this solution is that the weight of the sword could be too much for this hanging system to keep it at the right angle, given the short distance between the two suspension rings.

I know this type of sword was often carried at the saddle but... I would like to make something similar to the picture from
The Sword in the Age of Chivarly below, but with a nearly correct suspension system for ~1350.

Then I could try to remove the black painting of the leather with a metal brush or sandpaper, protecting it with something else (simple grease?).

Any idea?

John Giles · Posted: Tue 20 Nov, 2012 11:37 am Post subject:

Very good!! I'm going to be doing a new grip from scratch for my Hanwei/Tinker longsword soon. I hope it comes out as good as yours! It will be my first wrapped one. I've done a couple sidesword and smallsword grips in just natural wood, but this one will be my first dealing with wrapping and gluing, etc... Again, nice job Antonio!

Antonio Ganarini · Posted: Tue 20 Nov, 2012 2:14 pm Post subject:

Antonio Ganarini · Posted: Wed 21 Nov, 2012 7:45 am Post subject:

I think that something like this could be ok... I don't know how much, from a historical point of view, and here's where I need you! Confused

Ok, I know that a windlass scabbard maybe cannot be historical, but I wish to make it resemble an historical one! Wink

Johan Gemvik · Posted: Fri 23 Nov, 2012 11:02 am Post subject:

That belting sure looks nice!
Very similar to the older age Z-strap you see on the Sancho IV sword.

Antonio Ganarini · Posted: Fri 23 Nov, 2012 2:37 pm Post subject:

Really?

Actually I thought to make an hybrid between the "Z" suspension system and that of the Records XII.19!

Antonio Ganarini · Posted: Sat 08 Dec, 2012 4:56 am Post subject:

Scabbard finished, finally! Happy

I took off the black varnish of the original scabbard with sand paper, then I repainted the scabbard with brown acrylic paint. I then removed the brown paint leaving some darker spots, without touching the sewing on the back, for a better protection. To finish it I applied some protective polish to the leather.

For the belt attachment system I used the two bands of silvered brass that were placed at the top and the bottom of the original grip, cutting the lower one in a fleur-de-lis shape (or something similar, that was the original idea anyway Wink

). The bands were too thin to be welded to the locket, so I used epoxy.

The suspension rings are zinc-plated, but I left them a couple of days in salted water, so now they look a little more authentic! I fixed the belt with leather strings.

So that's all!

Jack Savante · Posted: Sat 08 Dec, 2012 5:21 am Post subject:

Nice work!

A sword and scabbard I'd be proud to own!