Info Favorites Register Log in
myArmoury.com Discussion Forums

Forum index Memberlist Usergroups Spotlight Topics Search
Forum Index > Historical Arms Talk > Type XV project?DIY Project Reply to topic
This is a standard topic  
Author Message
Sean Flynt




Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Joined: 21 Aug 2003
Likes: 10 pages
Reading list: 13 books

Spotlight topics: 7
Posts: 5,981

PostPosted: Tue 24 Jul, 2012 7:26 am    Post subject: Type XV project?         Reply with quote

I find that having lots of sword components lying around in drawers and on shelves can actually hinder productivity. Too many options make it difficult to keep track of ideas, and not having the components out where I can see them constantly works against surprise inspirations. I'm building a cutler's rack to solve that problem.

On the other hand, all the possibilities sometimes lead to something unique. I had overlooked the following possibility until I had a flash of inspiration last night.

This is an old Albion/Jody Samson Type XV-ish moat sale blade. It's flat-edge blunt , so blade-heavy, and really needs a heavy pommel to make it viable as-is. I tried a few late 15th c. options but wasn't happy with any of them. I also had an Albion Type H pommel and a chopped Del Tin cross. I had settled on selling all of these parts separately because they didn't seem to serve any particular project. Only last night did I think to try these together, and they immediately reminded me of some well-known swords in the Museum of London.

I think this is a good direction for these parts, although I think I would prefer an old straight ATrim cross I have because that's the configuration of the MOL sword at far left in the image below. I think either cross could look appropriate here, but the lighter ATrim cross might move the POB back just a bit, which would be welcome.

I know more about 1450+ than this earlier period. What do y'all think? Do you know of any Type XV swords with this look (in addition to those in ROTMS)?

I'll try the ATrim cross and post more photos.



 Attachment: 232.29 KB
XV2.gif


 Attachment: 229.17 KB
XV.gif


 Attachment: 127.41 KB
XV3.gif


-Sean

Author of the Little Hammer novel

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Hammer-Sean-Flynt/dp/B08XN7HZ82/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=little+hammer+book&qid=1627482034&sr=8-1
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
J.D. Crawford




Location: Toronto
Joined: 25 Dec 2006

Spotlight topics: 1
Posts: 1,903

PostPosted: Tue 24 Jul, 2012 2:51 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Dear Sean,

I'm usually a fan of even earlier cutting swords with long type 1 crosses, but I love this combination! I think it works great with the type 5 cross as opposed to type 1. I hope you will pursue this project and show us the results.

It reminds me a bit in outline to this sword, even though it is not an XV: http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=3074

-JD
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Glen A Cleeton




Location: Nipmuc USA
Joined: 21 Aug 2003

Posts: 1,968

PostPosted: Tue 24 Jul, 2012 4:04 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

It actually looks more like a slim XVIII than a XV but there is crossover in thoughts on typologies. Also, the AT mark means it was an Angus Trim blade. Albion never marked any other blade source that way.

I like the fittings as shown now and similar to the Windlass Shrewsbury guard in a slanted eye way

My old Windlass/Del Tin has the same slim XVIII look but I have often regarded it as a XV. Tinker and I used to bicker over it a lot but the precept of a XV being that it should have no real deviation and profile taper straight from the guard to the point.. Gus would have regarded the blade as shown as an XVIII.

Cheers

GC



 Attachment: 8.62 KB
webreadytin.jpg

View user's profile Send private message
Sean Flynt




Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Joined: 21 Aug 2003
Likes: 10 pages
Reading list: 13 books

Spotlight topics: 7
Posts: 5,981

PostPosted: Tue 24 Jul, 2012 6:36 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Good eyes! that cross is from the del tin version of the shrewsbury sword, with the ends cut off by a previous owner. duh, now I see the "t" on that maker's mark. thanks for that clarification.

yes, i'd say this blade is midway between true xv and xviii--an oft-honed xviii, perhaps. i figured i'd straighten it out a bit on the grinder since it's blunt anyway.

-Sean

Author of the Little Hammer novel

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Hammer-Sean-Flynt/dp/B08XN7HZ82/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=little+hammer+book&qid=1627482034&sr=8-1
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Jean Thibodeau




Location: Montreal,Quebec,Canada
Joined: 15 Mar 2004
Likes: 50 pages
Reading list: 1 book

Spotlight topics: 5
Posts: 8,310

PostPosted: Tue 24 Jul, 2012 7:41 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Looks like it has potential to be a very nice looking sword but I wouldn't obsess too much about it being a " tweener " between a type XV and a narrow XVIII as I like the subtle curve of the blade as it is now. ( But what matters is if it pleases your eye not mine ).
You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
View user's profile Send private message
Sean Flynt




Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Joined: 21 Aug 2003
Likes: 10 pages
Reading list: 13 books

Spotlight topics: 7
Posts: 5,981

PostPosted: Wed 25 Jul, 2012 7:22 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Jean Thibodeau wrote:
Looks like it has potential to be a very nice looking sword but I wouldn't obsess too much about it being a " tweener " between a type XV and a narrow XVIII as I like the subtle curve of the blade as it is now. ( But what matters is if it pleases your eye not mine ).


Yeah, I'm not OCD about it (neither was Oakeshott). I think of it more as a XV because it's a perfectly straight taper until the last six inches or so, when it becomes noticeably convex (there's probably a bit of barrel distortion in the full-length image I posted, making it look more XVIII-ish in the middle). I'm not sure what I'm going to do with that acutely pointed tip. Doesn't make sense with a flat edge. This might end up a fully-blunted XV for living history use. We'll see.

I tried a few other guards on this blade last night and kept coming back to the Del Tin. It really couldn't be more perfect in terms of fit. Even the inlet on the underside of that cross perfectly fits the shoulders of the blade.

-Sean

Author of the Little Hammer novel

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Hammer-Sean-Flynt/dp/B08XN7HZ82/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=little+hammer+book&qid=1627482034&sr=8-1
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Sean Flynt




Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Joined: 21 Aug 2003
Likes: 10 pages
Reading list: 13 books

Spotlight topics: 7
Posts: 5,981

PostPosted: Thu 11 Oct, 2012 12:01 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

This has moved back onto my bench for completion.

I've taken a bit of blade to extend the tang and improve the balance. This is a 42" blunt, so it really needs that extra help. As shown here, the COG is 4.25" below the cross, which I think is fair match to a blade that clearly would be strongest as a thrusting weapon. I wasn't thinking about hilt/blade proportions as much as this stage, but was pleased to find that my purely subjective alteration created a harmonious 1:4 hilt/blade proportion. Also notice that the cross is the length of the hilt. This piece seems to be building itself, which is one of the reasons I'm eager to see it finished in spite of its poor fit in my collection.

I've ground off the notched ends of the cross but haven't cleaned it up or reshaped the ends. Those will get a gentle, symmetrical sloping--not much different from what I show here, but softer.

The chappe is just salvage from an earlier project. It's not appropriate for the period of this sword (I'd say late 14th c.). I use it just to judge aesthetics. The final sword will have the "D" shape chappe common to the period. If I want to get fancy I might try a decorated metal chappe, as was sometimes done. I'm not 100 percent certain that would be right for the period, though, so I'd have to do some research on that.

Advice/comment/critique is always welcome!



 Attachment: 201.78 KB
sword.gif


 Attachment: 175.65 KB
sword2.gif


 Attachment: 158.91 KB
sword3.gif


-Sean

Author of the Little Hammer novel

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Hammer-Sean-Flynt/dp/B08XN7HZ82/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=little+hammer+book&qid=1627482034&sr=8-1
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website


Display posts from previous:   
Forum Index > Historical Arms Talk > Type XV project?DIY Project
Page 1 of 1 Reply to topic
All times are GMT - 8 Hours

View previous topic :: View next topic
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum






All contents © Copyright 2003-2024 myArmoury.com — All rights reserved
Discussion forums powered by phpBB © The phpBB Group
Switch to the Basic Low-bandwidth Version of the forum