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Sword of Odysseus by Albion Redone
Hi all…

To celebrate so many big budget, quasi-historical movies this summer (Alexander, Arthur and Achilles)
I thought I would post my Bronze Age Odysseus Sword by Albion.

I have included archeological drawings of the original on the top…
Below that is a picture of the original in the British Museum (known as the Woodhouse Dagger).
Below that is the sword as it looked from Albion.
And below that is my version of the sword.


ks


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Archeological Drawing, Woodhouse Dagger
Albion's Odysseus
A Grip on Odysseus



Last edited by Kirk Lee Spencer on Mon 10 May, 2004 9:23 pm; edited 1 time in total
The first thing I did to the Albion sword was grind off about 1.5 lbs of bronze from the blade and hilt.
I’m convinced that this brought the shape and weight into a range comparable to Aegean Bronze Age
swords.

Measurements and Specifications

Weight: 2 pounds 8 ounces
Overall Length: 19.45 inches
Blade Length: 13 inches
Fullers: 3 fullers 0.2 inches wide
Guard Width: 4 inches
Grip & Pommel: 4.5 inches
Grip Length: 3.75 inches
Point of Balance: 2.5 inches from guard

This is obviously a weapon for hacking, chopping, slicing and dicing at lose quarters. The large
pommel makes sense in this context. It is surely not needed to balance the blade. Rather it
seems to be a weapon in itself… for deflecting an opponents blade or smashing them in the face
at very close quarters.

(The bronze also makes your hands smell like garlic but I’m not sure that would have any offense value,
even at close quarters. Actually this is probably what sweaty Greeks smelled like :\ .)


ks


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Last edited by Kirk Lee Spencer on Mon 10 May, 2004 9:32 pm; edited 2 times in total
Albion had done an admirable job replicating a sword reportedly found in Ithika Greece. Because this
sword is from the time of Odysseus (13th century B.C.) and was found in his hometown of Ithica, it is
often called the “Sword of Odysseus.” The main problem is that it is only 16 inches long. As such, it is
really “The Really Big Dagger of Odysseus” (or Odysseus’ backup weapon to his back up weapon).

Albion’s version added about 3 inches to the total length of the original, most of it in the blade.
In doing so it passed over that fuzzy line between dirks and long daggers and into the range of
short, short swords.


ks


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Last edited by Kirk Lee Spencer on Tue 11 May, 2004 4:25 pm; edited 3 times in total
Reconstructing the grip plates and pommel was an interesting project. In trying to find an accurate
design, my two points of reference were archeological finds and the shape of my hand. I first found
as many pictures and drawings of original Aegean bronze swords as I could. Many of these finds
have rivets still attached. Though all of the organic parts of the hilt are long gone (in most cases)
the ends of the rivets do give a point of reference for the surface of the grip plates. The original
Woodhouse dagger has rivet holes through the tang to show the placement and relative size
of the rivets.

Although there is no cooper wire binding left on the Woodhouse dagger, I have added it because it
has been found (occasionally) on similar swords. Also I believe the narrowing of the tang above and
below the grip would make room for such binding. And, with the binding partially filling these indentions,
the grip seemed more comfortable. Also, many contemporary swords have grooves and linear patterns
cut in the side of the tang, which may mimic such older bindings. And lastly, there is a small groove on
the side of the tang at either end of the grip. I have interpreted these grooves as a channel for a single
strand of the wire binding to give a little extra hold.

The problem with the earliest Bronze Daggers and Rapier-Type Swords was that they had no tang.
The butt of the blade was simply riveted to a wooden handle. They were designed for thrusting.
You would just punch it into your opponent. However in the heat of battle with not enough room to
get a good thrust, it was natural to swing side arm or from above into your opponent. Rivets are not
going to hold under such torque. Many of the rivets of these early thrusting type swords are bent and
ripped out of the sides of the blades as testimony to such inappropriate hacking with a thrusting blade.

So swords with tangs developed… and with them the many strategies for trying to get the grip plates to
stay on the tangs. This version of the Sword of Odysseus shows three of the strategies:

1. Riveting the grip plates to the tang
2. Crimp the sharp flanged edges of the grip and pommel into the edges of the wooden grip plates.
3. Bind the grip plates to the tang with wire


ks


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Last edited by Kirk Lee Spencer on Mon 10 May, 2004 9:35 pm; edited 1 time in total
That is gorgeous, Kirk! I'm not usually a fan of ancient Greek weapons, but this one really grabbed my attention!

Can you share any information about the grip making process?
Interesting you should ask Bill.... I am still uploading this post and that was the next topic.
Here goes.

Lastly I would like to discuss the interesting “horns” or “hooks” extending from the shoulders
of the blade. When holding this sword, it is only natural to want to extend your index finger into
one of these hooks. When this is done the whole feel of the sword changes. This slight
change in grip gives much more leverage and control, especially in a chopping or slashing mode.
(I notice a similar change when using the thumb ring on my Schiavona.)

When the index finger is pulled back behind the horns, the horns become an efficient lower guard to
catch an opponent’s blade. The possibility of such finger maneuvering was important in creating a
design for the lower portions of the hilt. (A part of the hilt, which I had little archeological evidence to
go on.) I tried to form this part of the hilt in such a way that the wood would give good support to the
finger in the hook but would not interfere with removing it. Surprisingly as I shaped this part of the
hilt to accomplish this, a pair of horns appeared which seemed to go nicely with the sword as a
whole. It also recalled many similar shapes in Minoan art which supposedly influenced Mycenaean
art in the time of Odysseus.


ks


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Very attractive, but I just want to know were you got the time machine. (Joke)

Again impressive work!
Kirk,
Top notch work!
Research and craft in harmonious combination.
Beautiful result.

Thank you for sharing!
What an amazing job... Your Odysseus is one heck of a beauty!
Hi Kirk,

That is an amazing sword-- and your workmanship is beyond impressive! Although I'm not overly familiar with swords of this culture, it is a really appealing piece and believable. The shape and decorations just look "right"-- as per Jean's comment, I could almost believe you did find a time machine!

David
i've got to say. . .
beautiful. i've watched your work grow and improve over time on the forums and this is, in my opinion, your best work to date. congratulations on a job well done. some of my friends were wondering the value in this piece after looking at it (and its price) on albion's web site a long while back; i would gladly use this thread as proof.

also, for anyone interested, i had a chance to handle one of these on a trip to albion's shop and my strongest impression is that it is a hefty, solid little beast of a sword. my six-foot-something, lumberjack-looking, railroad-working biker companion had a particularly evil look in his eye contemplating the effect of two-fisting a pair of these like one would swing a pair of small axes. . .

the biggest thing i was left wondering was if sharpened and or work hardened (if possible) how well would it cut?

in any case, thumbs up on the beautiful work and my recommendation overall on the sword.
Bill, Jean, Peter, Ben and David...
Thanks so much for your feedback and encouragement.
Being able to share your work with kindred spirits makes a wonderful hobby even better.

ks
Wonderful workmanship.
Re: i've got to say. . .
Jonathon Janusz wrote:
beautiful. i've watched your work grow and improve over time on the forums and this is, in my opinion, your best work to date. congratulations on a job well done. some of my friends were wondering the value in this piece after looking at it (and its price) on albion's web site a long while back; i would gladly use this thread as proof.

also, for anyone interested, i had a chance to handle one of these on a trip to albion's shop and my strongest impression is that it is a hefty, solid little beast of a sword. my six-foot-something, lumberjack-looking, railroad-working biker companion had a particularly evil look in his eye contemplating the effect of two-fisting a pair of these like one would swing a pair of small axes. . .

the biggest thing i was left wondering was if sharpened and or work hardened (if possible) how well would it cut?

in any case, thumbs up on the beautiful work and my recommendation overall on the sword.





Hi Jonathon...
(Jonathon is the name of my youngest... see Avatar)

You're right... On receiving this sword that is the first impression: "This is a deadly chunk of bronze!!!" Well over 3 pounds....
I saw a post a few years ago that complained that the Odysseus Sword did not have a very comfortable grip... Thats because it is really a blade blank! :eek: Of course it is going to be uncomfortable without the grip plates.
I can understand why it is so heavy, casting such intricate flanges would be difficult especially in the pommel region. That is what makes this particular sword so heavy.... it has a half inch thick four inch wide chunk of heavy bronze for a pommel. The lion's share of the mass I removed was from the pommel.

This reconstruction was in its final form before I started posting anything on the web, so I did not take any in progress pictures. I have learned that there is an interest in the process as well as the sword. So with future projects, I am taking a few pictures as the work progresses. That being said, I will try to take some time in the near future to go into more detail of the steps in putting this sword together.

As to your question about work-hardening...
At first I wanted a work hardened look on the blade edges. However, I did not have the courage to take a ball-peen to the edge. So as I was grinding the edge from an apple-seed profile to a very shallow hollow grind (as in the archeological drawings), I took out circular pits to try to mimic the look of peening. And I must admit it had a very decorative effect. But there were a couple of problems:
1. It had that "look-how-ancient-I-am" look.
2. The original did not have such peening marks.

So I concluded that most of the evidence of work-hardening or cold-working would be very subdued after the edges were ground and sharpened by the cutler.

As for cutting ability...
From what I have read, bronze can be sharpened to a very hard and sharp edge. I believe that bronze razors kept the ancients clean shaven well into medieval times.
Most of the archeological drawings I have seen on bronze age swords show them as being relatively short with thick cross-sections... so they probably are not going to bend or break easily and the added mass behind the edge would probably offer frightening cuts.

I may be wrong here but I believe that iron (and especially steel) replaced bronze not because it was superior in cutting but because:
1. It became more plentiful and widespread as a resource.
2. You only need iron ore, not two components (Copper and Tin) as with bronze.
3. With natural carbon migration from charcoal forges, steel could be made more flexible, allowing the durability of longer swords and offering more reach in a combat situation.

Thanks again for your kind words...

ks
I agree with the others who have posted in this thread: absolutely stunning work!

Quote:
(The bronze also makes your hands smell like garlic but I’m not sure that would have any offense value,
even at close quarters. Actually this is probably what sweaty Greeks smelled like .)


Yes, but think if you were attacked by a vampire... :p


Best wishes,
Rabbe
Kirk;

Maybe Albion can tell you what bronze alloy they used and if work hardening is even possible.

If you can get a sample of the same bronze you could risk seeing if you can work harden it without something unfortunate happenning. (If it reacts like a piece of glass!)
I would not risk it with the current one.

If you make another one you could start the project by workhardening it before you put in all that work on finishing it.

Best wishes
JEAN
Kirk,

ConGratz on a wonderful Job and a great looking sword.

I Am Jon's, lets how did he put it...ah yes.. six-foot-something, lumberjack-looking, railroad-working biker companion, and i just love what you have done. If you ever feel like doing another for someone else, Just let me know...Probally wouldn't take too much arm twisting to have that some one else right here.

Gratz again.
That is quite, quite nice! I didn't really care for the design before, but seeing it complete, it looks quite attractive.

I may have missed it above, but what sort of wood did you use for the grip panels? It looks quite nice with the bronze, in "character" and grain.

Nice work, do you take commissions? :D
thanks for the insight, Kirk. I have to agree with my good friend, Matt, in that this sword has made it somewhere on my buy list. . . after i get a few irons out of the fire. . .

my thoughts on the cutting ability came from the refinement on the edges (or lack thereof) on the example i examined; i'm guessing this is where about half a pound of the pound and a half of bronze that disappeared came from. i guess i had never thought of this sword as being just a blank before.

two more questions - first, how are the grip plates attached? are they epoxied or are they held in place simply by the pins and copper wrap?

second, is the Achilles Thrusting Sword somewhere on your projects list? with how nice this piece turned out i would like to see your take on that one :cool:

. . . always did like bronze. . .

thanks again!
Rabbe Jan-Olof Laine wrote:

Yes, but think if you were attacked by a vampire... :p





Maybe Van Helsing should be using bronze swords... but from what I have heard he was able to stink up the movie without garlic.... :)

ks
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