Please meet the latest of my creations,

Maybe a controversial type XVIII but one that I am very pleased with all her harmonious proportions.

Specs as follows :

Total length ------------ 53 inches
Blade length ----------- 38 1/8
Thickness at base ---- 0,320
Width at base ---------- 2 1/8
COG ---------------------- 3 1/2
COP ---------------------- 22 1/2
Weight ------------------- 5 lb 1 oz

The dismountable handle is made of stained maple burl with sterling silver bands.
This enormous sword handles very comfortably even with one hand.

Enjoy, and thanks for looking.

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Simply gorgeous! Exceptional work sir. I really like the grip. Thanks for posting pics of this beauty...

Stunning. That grip and the pommel are simply gorgeous.

Beautiful work, very elegant.

Gentlemen,

Tim, Stuart and Ben, your comments are very heartwarming and are very much appreciated.

Thank you, very much.

Gabriel

Very handsome. Aesthetically speaking, I'm not usually a fan of bare wood grips, but for some reason I rather like how this one works. :)

Thank you J. Erb for your honest opinion. Usually, I make more than one handle for my swords; one of leather and the other of noble wood. This makes it like having more than one sword.

Jeremiah, I understand exactly what you are saying. I am a drooler myself. When I am drooling too much, I know I am getting ready to create a new one.

It is also this drooling that made me put together a huge collection of all kinds of swords, starting with the regular imported ones that the market is flooded with, to the high ends of A & A and Albion. Not only do I have almost all the different types of Albion's hand and a half swords and I'm still waiting for others yet to be produced, but I also have high regards and respect to them to the point of being a member of the Albion Benefactor's Society.

Anyway, after purchasing what's appealing to me and available on the market, I started making what's in my imagination and was impressed with.

So Jeremiah, be careful with your droolings, you may end up like me! :)

I was having a feeling that this sword was begging for some embellishments?

So here is what I did with Lapis Lazuli and Onyx set in sterling silver.

Did I make or break the looks of this sword? Is this historically feasible or flat out ahistorical?

Your comments are important and are very welcome.

Thanks in advance.

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Hello. I've checked your website and I found your works very interesting. You can do both historical style decoration as well as something that looks more modern by manipulating the volume and geometry of the fittings. One thing I wonder is how did you make your blades? What are their hardness, heat treatment and material used, if I may know? Thanks for your impressive works!

Hello Lancelot, thanks for your comments.

To answer your questions, I make my swords by hand, by stock removal method, very slowly, carefully and meticulousely. No CNC, just by hand on regular bench belt sanders, modified, adapted and set up to grind sword blades. I use 5160 carbon steel, though I have used A2 steel too, but what a pain that was (Type XVIIIb-2, XVIIIb-4w and 4L on my website). I don't take any chances when it comes to hardening, so I have that done by professionals to a hardness of RC55.

I hope this satisfies your questions,

Thanks again.

Mr. Ghazarian-

While I can certainly see your skills at work with the jewels, they have not produced something that looks to me like anything that would have been done in a historical context mating with the style of the sword at hand. For me, personally, this doesn't fit within my own preferences.

My disclaimer is that my own preferences are to see swords that are in line with what was found historically. There is such a variety of shape, form, and ornamentation found from history as well as room to make "inspired" versions from several pieces that I don't care much for items that extend outside of that already giant box. This is, again, just my own personal preferences and so must be taken with a grain of salt.

There are many, many historical swords of various cultures and eras that have highly ornate decoration that I'd absolutely love to see a modern maker attack. I can't even imagine the skills and extreme amount of time makers of old would put into some of their creations. It's mind-boggling.

This is sort of an interesting topic, to me, that shows a tiny, tiny sampling of such work: Ornamentation: Fantasy vs. History.

Thanks a lot! That was very cool!

G. Ghazarian wrote:

Hello Lancelot, thanks for your comments. To answer your questions, I make my swords by hand, by stock removal method, very slowly, carefully and meticulousely. No CNC, just by hand on regular bench belt sanders, modified, adapted and set up to grind sword blades. I use 5160 carbon steel, though I have used A2 steel too, but what a pain that was (Type XVIIIb-2, XVIIIb-4w and 4L on my website). I don't take any chances when it comes to hardening, so I have that done by professionals to a hardness of RC55. I hope this satisfies your questions, Thanks again.

Your sense of line and proportion are frankly stunning. I am a production artist by trade and your swords please me to no end.

The grip is a beautiful example of the golden ratio.

Thank you Carlo!

I appreciate your comment.

Gabriel

I think the cross on the pommel and the stones on the ends of the quillons are overkill. The stones in the center of the guard are fine, but the rest takes away from the beauty of the rest of it.

M.