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Philip Melhop




Location: Wokingham, Berkshire, UK
Joined: 24 May 2008

Posts: 132

PostPosted: Tue 02 Apr, 2019 9:06 am    Post subject: Conyers Falchion Reproduction         Reply with quote

Hi All
I wish to commision a functional replica of the above weapon. Decent information is sparse owing to access restrictions so I am asking for any assistance in regards to design and specification details. I am aware of a number of threads on myArmoury but if anyone wants to list those resources too, please feel free.

All help much appreciated
Phil
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Ryan Renfro




Location: Reno, NV
Joined: 27 Dec 2006
Reading list: 5 books

Posts: 118

PostPosted: Tue 02 Apr, 2019 10:01 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

This is the best info I have seen on it. http://www.foxtail.nu/bjorn/h_conyers_eng.htm

I asked permission to examine it once and just received visiting hours for the Treasures of St Cuthbert. I believe James Elmslie has made more persistent efforts to study it hands on, but concluded that only the Bishop of Durham was allowed to open the case, and even then only once a year on Yom Kippur. I think he's enrolled in seminary [I kid].

If there are more details out there, I'd love to see them.

With whom are you thinking about commissioning it?

Good luck!
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Hass Fernen





Joined: 05 Feb 2019

Posts: 40

PostPosted: Tue 02 Apr, 2019 5:15 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I think Matt Easton had a commission based on the blade of the Conyers Falchion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlMGTXMolQo

Made by Paul Binns

If that is any help
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JG Elmslie
Industry Professional



Location: Scotland
Joined: 18 Jun 2009
Reading list: 28 books

Posts: 272

PostPosted: Thu 04 Apr, 2019 5:18 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Ryan Renfro wrote:
I believe James Elmslie has made more persistent efforts to study it hands on, but concluded that only the Bishop of Durham was allowed to open the case, and even then only once a year on Yom Kippur. I think he's enrolled in seminary [I kid].


not far off.

Even the curator of arms and armour at the Royal Armouries was denied access...

After 9 years of heckling them on and off, I'm at the point where I have a provisional offer that I can look at it out of the case, which is the most access anyone's been offered. But I'm not allowed to take any photographs, or touch it. A mere academic cant be touching their precious dragon-killing falchion after all...

I have mostly joked several times that my practical choices are a) theft, b) having someone cause a distraction and LIDAR scanning the thing in its case while the security are away, c) kidnapping and impersonating the bishop. or d) claiming to have found god, become a priest, and work my way up the ranks of the Anglican church to become Bishop of Durham.

As such, I've not even bothered with it. I'm waiting till I've done the sword of st Peter in Poznan, and the falcastro of St Peter the Martyr in Seveso, Milan, as that way I can use the "well, the Catholics let me...." line.

Afraid I don't know of anyone who has had better opportunity for access than that. I will note however that the Conyers is somewhat of an outlier among the Type F1 group in size and weight, and is not representative of the others at all. I'm not 100% convinced it ever was a fighting weapon.
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Jeremy V. Krause




Location: Buffalo, NY.
Joined: 20 Oct 2003
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PostPosted: Thu 04 Apr, 2019 7:19 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I think I read somewhere that the falchion is quite thin. This may not make for a good reproduction.
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JG Elmslie
Industry Professional



Location: Scotland
Joined: 18 Jun 2009
Reading list: 28 books

Posts: 272

PostPosted: Thu 04 Apr, 2019 9:47 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Jeremy V. Krause wrote:
I think I read somewhere that the falchion is quite thin. This may not make for a good reproduction.


it has an extreme distal profile, in comparison with, oh, a Type XV sword. But its distal taper is entirely consistent with other Type 1a falchions, like the Cluny or Hamburg. very wide, but also very thin.

What makes so many reproductions of these into maces in drag is the fact that few people have studied any of them (and the conyers' isnt exactly an easy target to start on there!), and as a result makers underestimate how thin they are at the broadest point. Fortunately, that's started to get solved in the last few years by the stuff I've been shouting from the rooftops.

I do have some technical data from my discussions with the Cathedral, which I'm unfortunately not at liberty to distribute yet, but I can say that the characteristics are entirely typical of the Cluny or Hamburg F1a's, except for its increased size.
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