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Matthew G.M. Korenkiewicz
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 Posted: Wed 01 Aug, 2007 8:50 am Post subject: The Tinkerbella |
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I'd like to show you, my fellow forumites, the result of a commission with
Michael Tinker Pearce. A sword I decided to call The Tinkerbella ....
The sword as first shown to me by its maker ....
http://www.arscives.com/bladesign/matthewcarabella.html
After I first received it ...
The sword would then go to Christian Fletcher, who had the task of giving the entire
package a historical face-lift ...
Starting with the scabbard ...
Then moving onto the grip and hilt ...
The scabbard's metal parts proved to be a challenge, as there were many details. The
design would be based on something like the scabbards seen in this picture, taken off
of myArmoury's website no less ! B-)
CF persevered and the project began to come together ...
Finally, the sword came home to me ...
I hope you enjoy the brief pictorial-history of The Tinkerbella. But behind it all
there is a story to tell, which I hope to share with you as well. That will come
next ...
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Nathan Robinson
myArmoury Admin
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Martin Wilkinson
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| Posted: Wed 01 Aug, 2007 9:14 am Post subject: |
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That's gorgeous. Congratulations.
"A bullet you see may go anywhere, but steel's, almost bound to go somewhere."
Schola Gladiatoria
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Colin F.
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| Posted: Wed 01 Aug, 2007 9:34 am Post subject: |
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That looks fantastic! 
The scabbard is an excellent fit for the sword and really adds to the character of it. The new leather and wire wrap for the hilt also make it fit the period and model the inspiration of the karabella in the picture very well.
Melchett - "In short, a German spy is giving away every one of our battle plans."
Cpt. Darling - "You look surprised, Blackadder."
Edmund - "I cerainly am, sir. I didn't realise we had any battle plans."
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Greg Griggs
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| Posted: Wed 01 Aug, 2007 12:25 pm Post subject: |
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Have to agree with Nathan in that the hilt upgrade alone makes it a totally different sword. Add the super nice scabbard, and that's one heck of a nice piece. Congrats! So let us know how it handles......
Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.
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Allen Andrews
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| Posted: Wed 01 Aug, 2007 12:39 pm Post subject: |
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Very nice! The whole package is really cool.
" I would not snare even an orc with a falsehood. "
Faramir son of Denethor
Words to live by. (Yes, I know he's not a real person)
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Tim Lison
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| Posted: Wed 01 Aug, 2007 2:25 pm Post subject: |
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OMG!  That is damn nice!!!! That is possibly the most beautiful sabre I've ever seen. Great work.
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Bryce Felperin
Location: San Jose, CA Joined: 16 Feb 2006
Posts: 552
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| Posted: Wed 01 Aug, 2007 3:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Tim Lison wrote: | | OMG! That is damn nice!!!! That is possibly the most beautiful sabre I've ever seen. Great work. |
Isn't it a messer?
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Jean Thibodeau
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| Posted: Wed 01 Aug, 2007 3:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Greg Griggs wrote: | | Have to agree with Nathan in that the hilt upgrade alone makes it a totally different sword. Add the super nice scabbard, and that's one heck of a nice piece. Congrats! So let us know how it handles...... |
I have to agree with what Nathan said and what Greg seconded, just make that a thirded ( if that makes gramatical sense ).
Really changed an ugly duckling into a graceful swan. 
You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
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Jonathan Hopkins
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| Posted: Wed 01 Aug, 2007 3:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Bryce Felperin wrote: | | Tim Lison wrote: | | OMG! That is damn nice!!!! That is possibly the most beautiful sabre I've ever seen. Great work. |
Isn't it a messer? |
No, it is a Polish-style saber (szabla). A Karabela is a type of saber, which is how, I'm assuming, the name "Tinkerbella" came to be--a combination of Tinker and Karabela.
Jonathan
PS--The form is similar enough and it might just come down to semantics, although I believe this saber would be for a horseman, and therefore longer than a messer.
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Hugo Voisine
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| Posted: Wed 01 Aug, 2007 8:06 pm Post subject: |
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Not that the original fittings weren't nice, but the new ones are just SO much better...
Let us know how it cuts.
« Que dites-vous ?... C'est inutile ?... Je le sais !
Mais on ne se bat pas dans l'espoir du succès !
Oh ! non, c'est bien plus beau lorsque c'est inutile ! »
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Nate C.
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| Posted: Wed 01 Aug, 2007 9:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Jonathan Hopkins wrote: | | Bryce Felperin wrote: | | Tim Lison wrote: | | OMG! That is damn nice!!!! That is possibly the most beautiful sabre I've ever seen. Great work. |
Isn't it a messer? |
No, it is a Polish-style saber (szabla). A Karabela is a type of saber, which is how, I'm assuming, the name "Tinkerbella" came to be--a combination of Tinker and Karabela.
Jonathan
PS--The form is similar enough and it might just come down to semantics, although I believe this saber would be for a horseman, and therefore longer than a messer. |
The German messers (Grossemesser & Kriegsmesser) are differentiated from swords by their hilt construction. Swords have a grip that wraps the tang in some fashion, either glued around the tang or actually pierced by the tang with the pommel peened or screwed on. the messer is built like a knife with grip slabs riveted to the full profile tang. Hence the German word messer (German for knife) in the name.
Nate C.
Sapere Aude
"If you are going to kill the man, at least give him a decent salute." - A. Blansitt
If they ever come up with a Swashbuckling School, I think one of the courses should be Laughing, then Jumping Off Something. --Jack Handy
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Jean Thibodeau
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| Posted: Wed 01 Aug, 2007 10:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Hugo Voisine wrote: | Not that the original fittings weren't nice, but the new ones are just SO much better...
Let us know how it cuts. |
Right didn't want my comments to sound harsh ( The ugly duckling was cute and maybe funny but a bit unfair ): The original was O.K. but the new handle is better.
Had a look at the site linked and there does seem to be many very nice things there.
You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
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Jonathan Hopkins
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| Posted: Thu 02 Aug, 2007 7:31 am Post subject: |
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| Nate C. wrote: | | Jonathan Hopkins wrote: | | Bryce Felperin wrote: | | Tim Lison wrote: | | OMG! That is damn nice!!!! That is possibly the most beautiful sabre I've ever seen. Great work. |
Isn't it a messer? |
No, it is a Polish-style saber (szabla). A Karabela is a type of saber, which is how, I'm assuming, the name "Tinkerbella" came to be--a combination of Tinker and Karabela.
Jonathan
PS--The form is similar enough and it might just come down to semantics, although I believe this saber would be for a horseman, and therefore longer than a messer. |
The German messers (Grossemesser & Kriegsmesser) are differentiated from swords by their hilt construction. Swords have a grip that wraps the tang in some fashion, either glued around the tang or actually pierced by the tang with the pommel peened or screwed on. the messer is built like a knife with grip slabs riveted to the full profile tang. Hence the German word messer (German for knife) in the name. |
Thanks for the clarification!
Jonathan
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Jessen Klaus
Location: Denmark/ Fredericia Joined: 27 Feb 2004
Posts: 64
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| Posted: Thu 02 Aug, 2007 7:37 am Post subject: |
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Congrats on this wonderfull piece !
Best regards
Klaus
Swords on waiting list
The Hauptmann,The Markgraf,
The Munich,The Knech,The Maximilian & The Dane
Sword's I'm selling/trading
Triton from Odinblades
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David Martin
Location: Southeastern Pennsylvania Joined: 11 Apr 2005
Posts: 165
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| Posted: Thu 02 Aug, 2007 10:53 am Post subject: |
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Congratulations on a beautiful upgrade! It looks much more elegant in the current configuration.
One question though: Is the guard supposed to be that wide? I think it might look better if it were bobbed back a few inches. No offense intended - I'm more curious than anything.
"When war-gods meet to match their might,
who can tell the bravest born?
Many a hero never made a hole
in another man's breast."
- Sigurd, The Lay of Fafnir
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Dan P
Location: Massachusetts, USA Joined: 28 Jun 2007
Posts: 208
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| Posted: Thu 02 Aug, 2007 11:09 am Post subject: |
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I think it looked a little better before the upgrade, but it still looks like an awesome weapon with the rehilt.
What's the length and weight?
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Matthew G.M. Korenkiewicz
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| Posted: Thu 02 Aug, 2007 11:48 am Post subject: |
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Gentlemen, thankyou for the comments and discussion. I'm glad
you're all enjoying taking a look. As for cutting, well, sad to say I've
no practical skill in that regards as I'm much more the collector
as opposed to the martial artist. I would be interested in sending
it to someone -- for instance somone here at myArmoury -- who
would like to handle and do a different type of review of the sword
and its characteristics.
One thing CF and I discussed was whether or not to completely
redo the guard and thumb-ring with an L-Hilt arrangement --
which was a detail included in the original commission. The
problem as I saw it was, because the curve of the blade is
so shallow, the sword might end up looking like a very large
trench-knife, or -- as others here note -- a messer ...
At certain angles, as in this picture, the blade's curve almost
disappears ...
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Bryce Felperin
Location: San Jose, CA Joined: 16 Feb 2006
Posts: 552
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| Posted: Thu 02 Aug, 2007 11:52 am Post subject: |
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| Jonathan Hopkins wrote: | | Nate C. wrote: | | Jonathan Hopkins wrote: | | Bryce Felperin wrote: | | Tim Lison wrote: | | OMG! That is damn nice!!!! That is possibly the most beautiful sabre I've ever seen. Great work. |
Isn't it a messer? |
No, it is a Polish-style saber (szabla). A Karabela is a type of saber, which is how, I'm assuming, the name "Tinkerbella" came to be--a combination of Tinker and Karabela.
Jonathan
PS--The form is similar enough and it might just come down to semantics, although I believe this saber would be for a horseman, and therefore longer than a messer. |
The German messers (Grossemesser & Kriegsmesser) are differentiated from swords by their hilt construction. Swords have a grip that wraps the tang in some fashion, either glued around the tang or actually pierced by the tang with the pommel peened or screwed on. the messer is built like a knife with grip slabs riveted to the full profile tang. Hence the German word messer (German for knife) in the name. |
Thanks for the clarification!
Jonathan |
Thanks also for the clarification. Also just let me just say it's a great looking piece and as another owner of a Tinker sword I'm sure it handles beautifully too! Congrats again,
Bryce
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Matthew G.M. Korenkiewicz
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| Posted: Thu 02 Aug, 2007 12:03 pm Post subject: |
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| David Martin wrote: | Congratulations on a beautiful upgrade! It looks much more elegant in the current configuration.
One question though: Is the guard supposed to be that wide? I think it might look better if it were bobbed back a few inches. No offense intended - I'm more curious than anything. |
Hi David ... Answering your question about the guard takes me into a couple different areas of the
entire project. First, the original commission was for an L-hilted, thumb-ringed Polish Hussar
Saber. A concept drawing was provided by Antonio Cejunior, along with enough historical pics
to cement the idea firmly in everyone's mind, PLUS a picture of a more recent replica that I believe
Nathan Robinson once owned ...
The original concept ...
An Historical Drawing ( wish I had kept the Author's info ! )...
The relevatively recent replica ...
Certain circumstances came about ending the original commission -- things I'm still thinking about
discussing and approaching as they play into, I believe, the whole experience of commissioning a
custom, one of a kind, sword -- and the maker and I settled on a new direction that was basically
similar to a sword he had made before. As you can see in the left lower corner of the chart below,
the ulta-wide guard was not an uncommon historical characteristic of said sword. There was a bit
of discussion between myself an Antonio Cejunior with regards to knocking off a bit of the guard's
length, but I decided to keep the unusual look ...
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This is a standard topic