[William Pace]

Everyone's tastes are different and this has been true since the dawn of time. Personally, I like a good hanger blade. I like sparring in close quarters, which makes me a little reckless I suppose. Call it the pirate in me. I like a nice curved blade no more than 28 inches long. It is my preferred weapon. However, I find most hanger hilts to be lacking. I find them too open, and frankly...boring. I favor the Schiavona basket for weight, protection and style.

Now, my question is this...Is there any historical evidence of a schiavona with a curved blade? I have yet to find any evidence of a marriage between a hanger and a Type 1, Type 2 or even Type 3 Schiavona.

Any written mention or pictorial evidence would be appreciated.

[Nathan Robinson]

I've seen only one photograph of a schiavona with a curved blade. (still, I would not call this a hanger, however..)

It was seen in an auction catalog and was, no doubt, a composite piece.

[Roger Hooper]

There are 2 Schiavonaesque cutlasses made by Windlass Steelcrafts -

http://kultofathena.com/product~item~500160.htm

http://kultofathena.com/product~item~500920.htm

I can't speak as to their quality. I'd like to think that they are based on originals.

[Gary A. Chelette]

Scottish Cutlass - 500920
This piece I have seen in museum photos and I'm looking at it as well. It looks to be a fine piece and well protected.

[Patrick Murphy]

I've personally handled #500160 and the balance is okay, for it wasn't a sword that I own. I was just looking at a friend's. The problem I saw with it was that for combat, it wouldn't last a day. The temperament on the blade just wouldn't stand up to the beatings, especially if you use the sword the way you're supposed to. As far as esthetically speaking, it was a great looking sword, and would look great for the pirate! It just felt too bulky to me.

Also, if you're looking for a well protected hanger or cutlass, check out the actual real or replica "bell housing" cutlasses. They have a fully enclosed guard and are great for in-fighting! You can chop with them, slice with them, and pummel your opponent with the guard! I first started fencing with a rapier, so going to the bell cutlass, I was amazed at the versatility achieved just within the guard. Try looking for good versions of those, or if you just want pretty, places like on eBay sell some for under $100USD!

Pat

[Henrik Bjoern Boegh]

Personally I've never seen any Schiavonas with short curved blades. But in the Norwegian Museum of Defence (Forsvarsmuseet) there are plenty of German basket hilts with saber blades as well as some with either cut down saber blades or cutlass blades. They look rough and brutal, but some are rather elegant.

Cheers,
Henrik

[Peter Morwood]

I'm sorry to say that the only schiavona hilt I've ever seen with a curved blade is fictional.

It featured in the movie Van Helsing, carried by Kate Beckinsale (and it says something for what a sad individual I can sometimes be, that I was more interested in the sword than in Ms. Beckinsale wearing long boots, tight trews and even tighter corset! I can only claim that the cinema's over-cranked volume somehow stunned my brain, because I certainly noticed these other features when I saw the movie later on TV.

There was some curiosity expressed on NetSword and SFI about where this sword originated. Here's the place.. Three Brothers' Productions, formerly K&K Art, of the Czech Republic. Of course it's a fantasy weapon for a fantasy (and pretty foolish) movie, but since some Highland basket-hilts still exist that have been mounted on curved blades (the "Turcael" - Gaelic for Turkish, maybe?), the assumption that something similar might have been done with a schiavona is more probable than not. A historical example would be welcome, of course.

As an example of the other extreme from broad, curved, heavy etc., my attachment shows a real Type 2b schiavona basket in a Swiss museum, mounted on an early rapier blade. Compare it to the other swords in the case - from the top, a smallsword, a half-basket broadsword, a reitschwert, the schiavona, an ugly saw-edged thing in a handsome swept hilt, a scarf-sword, another reitschwert and a beautiful hand-and-a-half. The schiavona is closer in width to the "pure thrust" small/scarf blades; it's certainly much narrower and lighter (looking) than any other schiavona I've ever seen pictured, and makes me wonder whether its original owner - using the thumb-ring and with his index finger over the forward quillon - was able to actually fence a bit as well as just employ the usual "swashing blows".

So: if the schiavona hilt was historically fitted to a broadsword, backsword and rapier blade, I see no reason at all why it couldn't also carry a long curved sabre, short curved hanger - or indeed, given that the Dalmatian mercenaries who carried it often fought against the Turks, a kilij blade wouldn't be beyond the bounds of possibility. As mentioned before, historical examples would be welcome - but thanks to the Scottish Turcael example, this sort of speculation is a lot less wild than some... .

[GG Osborne]

Take a look at the so-called "Sinclair" hangers/sabers offered by The Mad Piper and Darkwood Armouries. I think both of these would meet your requirements; however, for actual fencing, I'd talk to Scott at Darkwood. Donnie Sherer at Mad Piper makes good looking swords but I couldn't vouch for durability.

www.themadpiper.com

www.darkwoodarmoury.com

George

[Max von Bargen]

I tried going to the Darkwood Armory link above, but it didn't work. I searched for the website and came up with this link, which should work: http://www.darkwoodarmory.com

[Alexander Wu]

I hate to change the subject of the thread a bit, i apologize. but...is there any common companion dagger that would go along with the schiavona?

kinda like the main gauche and rapier.

[Peter Morwood]

Peterson's Daggers & Fighting Knives of the Western World mentions (p.52) and pictures (pl.63) a "so-called Schiavona dagger of the early 18th century" - the one illustrated was then from the Tower of London, though now may be in the Royal Armouries collection, Leeds.

His text describes it briefly as a "degenerate form of the stiletto", and certainly the weapon pictured has a long, narrow, apparently hollow-ground triangular-section blade; the blade-section is echoed by that of the scabbard. It's hard to tell from the photo, but I think there's a side-ring or bar, and the narrow crossguard curves down toward the blade and may also curve up slightly from the horizontal plane, as often found on left-hand daggers.

However, I doubt it was intended to be used en-suite with a schiavona in rapier and dagger style, at least against other schiavone; this crossguard looks far too insubstantial to successfully parry or trap something like the usual broad- or backsword blade. Also, and significantly, the pommel isn't a cat's-head shape - as might be expected if made to match most schiavone - but instead it's more like the A.V.B. Norman Pommel 78, which usually appears on Hilt 90 or 91 rapiers.

I'll scan and post a picture tomorrow.

Incidentally, The Mad Piper's website not only has a Sinclair hilt, though the photo suggests to me that it's mounted on a straight broad- or backsword blade rather than a curved hanger - he also has a basket-hilt with a sabre blade like those I mentioned in my earlier post. Not a schiavona basket-hilt, granted, but a historical rather than movie example that curved blades and basket hilts did go together.