[Leo Todeschini]

Hi All,

I have been comissioned to make 7 very truthfull replicas from the Royal Armouries as a joint venture between the RA and Bryan Tunstall of The Knight Shop. These will be iconic pieces from the collection of the RA and the absolute emphasis is to interpret the remains of the pieces where they are incomplete and to replicate them as they once would have been. This is of course an incredibly exiting project for me and gives me the chance to handle and replicate with full data and permission provided by the RA.

As the pieces are made I will post them up, but I can tell you there are some very challenging pieces and one in particular that I am both dreading and seriously looking forward to.........

The first of these pieces is an English dagger thought to be from the 15thC. The blade is 12"/30cm and has a hollow ground section with two 'false edge' areas. The guard and pommel are rather unusual and made in bronze and the grip is cord bound elm with a leather cord wrapped grip. The sculpting work was done by Matt Rowe. There will be no scabbards for any of these pieces.

I hope you like it.

Tod

[Roger Hooper]

That's beautiful work. Can you post a photo of the original?

[Jean Thibodeau]

The decorative lines in the hilt furniture contrast very attractively with the smooth main bevel of the blade and the two " false edges " are visually a nice surprise and break up the shape of the blade to make it more interesting.

It looks to me that these false edges are really false in the sense of being rather obtuse in angle and not sharp or sharpenable and mostly aesthetic rather than functional as cutting edges, although they might serve some minor function if parrying a sword blade ?

Are these commissioned reproductions going to be exclusive to the Royal Armouries or are you permitted to make more ?

I would hope that you might at least be able to make knives/daggers inspired by these designs, but make them different enough in details and specific decoration, if you are not allowed to make close copies for sale ?

[P. Frank]

This is really a very interesting piece. Elegant, but also, at least to me, very mean looking.

I really admire your work Tod. One of these Days I will be unable to resist any more and have to commission a piece.

[Leo Todeschini]

I do not have any pictures I am sure I can post, so you can see the original here http://collections.royalarmouries.org/index.p...=&pg=1

What is odd about the picture is that it looks like I have the false edges the wrong way round, but I can assure you I don't. A deceptive picture. Close examination also shows far more detail was originally there than shows in the picture and so this was put in.

I am not at liberty to expand on the nature of the project I am afraid Jean.

Thanks Mr Frank; I look forward to it.

Tod

[Julien M]

Great work as usual Tod, and a very attractive piece. In league with the biggest UK distributor, with unlimited access to items kept in one of the most impressive collections in the country...this does not get any better for a maker I guess.

That's all well deserved. Congratulations and I will stay tuned for the rest...given the many many items worthy of interest held in the collection, I'm definitely excited to see more.

Julien

[Bartek Strojek]

Fascinating stuff, I would call this dagger fantasy, if I didn't know it's actual antique.

Great work all around.

[Leo Todeschini]

Bartek Strojek wrote

[Leo Todeschini]

I hope to have another dagger and short sword finished this week or early next so I will post them up with information as they are done.

In the mean time I have just finished sculpting the wax for the guard of Henry VIII's sabre. This sword is quite extraordinary; I just fell in love when I saw it and handled it. It is everything that a sabre should be, quick, light, menacing, wicked and flashy and so many other words too. The make up of the handle is also extraordinary and that will be shown in due course and I have not seen the like. The blade of course is all business.

I am so very excited about this piece I can't stop hopping up and down.

I am so scared of making this piece I can't scrape myself off the floor.

Lets see what happens...........................

Tod

ps one of the pictures was taken before the head was fully carved and the decoration completed.

[P. Frank]

Oh I cannot wait to see how this one turns out! Sabres are favourite of mine and this is of course a very interesting and most beautiful piece.

[Sean Flynt]

AHHHH! I've wanted that piece since I first saw it! Fantastic to see you working on it!

[Nathan Robinson]

I've wanted that piece reproduced for a long, long time. I'm thrilled you're doing such a faithful recreation of it! The guard looks fantastic.

[Sean Flynt]

Isn't the original thought to have had a cap on the grip? I'm curious to see what you'll do about that.

Does the fact that you're working in wax instead of doing it as a one-off mean you'll be able to sell castings?

[Leo Todeschini]

Sean Flynt wrote

[William M]

Incredible project, I am really looking forward to seeing the other pieces. Exact reproductions of original pieces are what I just love so this is quite exciting!

With the first dagger that was posted, is it just me or is there some copper inlay on the original dagger?

[Sean Flynt]

Thanks! I don't remember where I read that the piece had a cap, but it's a good reminder about not believing everything we read.

[Craig Johnson]

[Leo Todeschini]

Craig Johnson wrote

[Peter Johnsson]

I have seen some grips covered with velvet.
-Lush :-)

[Sean Flynt]

For what it's worth, this MIGHT depict a fine cloth binding ca. 1330.