myArmoury.com - Falchion-Storta in the Dresden Rüstkammer

Posts: 337

Sat 22 Aug, 2009 3:59 am

Falchion-Storta in the Dresden Rüstkammer

Does anyone have any information or thoughts about this Falchion / Storta in Dresden Rüstkammer Museum?
Dimensions, Weight, Origin etc?
Anyone have anymore pics of this Falchion?

I found the picture here:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dresde...mor.13.JPG
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dresde...-sword.JPG

It looks Italian, 16th or 17th century. There are some similar looking Falchions in the book "Armi Bianche Italiane".

Thanks

Danny

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Falchion-Storta in the Dresden Rüstkammer.jpg

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Jim Mearkle

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Posts: 113 Location: Colonie, NY

Sat 22 Aug, 2009 5:39 pm

Re: Falchion-Storta in the Dresden Rüstkammer

Danny Grigg wrote:

Does anyone have any information or thoughts about this Falchion / Storta in Dresden Rüstkammer Museum?

Danny

Here's a thought: I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that cleaver!

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Jorge Santos

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Posts: 19 Location: Portugal

Sun 23 Aug, 2009 1:30 pm

Hello danny !!!!! what you got there is a decapitation sword..... the Falchions appeared in the XV cent....they were used in battles ....to destroy armours and shields.....and everything else.... and they were used as executioner swords too!!....the one on the picture by his decoration is defennetly a decapitation sword... Only the nobles have the head cut off with this weapon....the people and lower classes were by ....axe....burned....hanging....etc... Cheers to you!

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Chad Arnow

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Posts: 9,570 Location: Dayton, OH

Sun 23 Aug, 2009 1:37 pm

Jorge Santos wrote:

Hello danny !!!!! what you got there is a decapitation sword..... the Falchions appeared in the XV cent....they were used in battles ....to destroy armours and shields.....and everything else.... and they were used as executioner swords too!!....the one on the picture by his decoration is defennetly a decapitation sword... Only the nobles have the head cut off with this weapon....the people and lower classes were by ....axe....burned....hanging....etc... Cheers to you!

There are falchions prior to the 15th century.

What is your evidence for this kind of sword being used for executions? I haven't heard that before.

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Maurizio D'Angelo

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Posts: 649 Location: Italy

Sun 23 Aug, 2009 3:39 pm

Re: Falchion-Storta in the Dresden Rüstkammer

Danny Grigg wrote:

It looks Italian, 16th or 17th century. There are some similar looking Falchions in the book "Armi Bianche Italiane".

I think you refer to some like this.

Attachment: 166.8 KB
Brescia - 1560-1570 [ Download ]

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Danny Grigg

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Posts: 337

Mon 24 Aug, 2009 2:05 am

Re: Falchion-Storta in the Dresden Rüstkammer

Maurizio D'Angelo wrote:

Danny Grigg wrote:

It looks Italian, 16th or 17th century. There are some similar looking Falchions in the book "Armi Bianche Italiane".

I think you refer to some like this.

Maurizio

Is that the Falchion from the Metropolitan Museum, USA?

See attached pic.

The B & W pic is from "A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries... by George Cameron Stone" and the colour one is from an old website called Claudio's Page from memory if anyone remembers that site.

Does anyone have any information about this Falchion also or even info about the Badelaire in the pic?

Thanks

Danny

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[ Download ]

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Maurizio D'Angelo

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Posts: 649 Location: Italy

Mon 24 Aug, 2009 3:08 am

Re: Falchion-Storta in the Dresden Rüstkammer

Danny Grigg wrote:

Maurizio D'Angelo wrote:

Danny Grigg wrote:

It looks Italian, 16th or 17th century. There are some similar looking Falchions in the book "Armi Bianche Italiane".

I think you refer to some like this.

Maurizio
Is that the Falchion from the Metropolitan Museum, USA?
Does anyone have any information about this Falchion also or even info about the Badelaire in the pic?
Thanks
Danny

Hi, Danny
yes, you are right: Faustino Guelfo, Brescia. 1560-1570.
Now in the museum in New York.
Total length: 830 mm
Blade length: 666 mm
blade width: 41-61
I try to translate for you.
The grip is modern.
The blade is engraved a triple "knot of Solomon."
In front of the blade a word "FAVS" behind "TINO."
<<Translator's note: In Italian FAUSTINO is a name, and refers to Faustino Guelfo.>>
Still on the blade the words: "GEL" - "PHO" and "BRES" - "CIANO"
<<Translator's note: In Italian BRESCIANO means inhabitant of Brescia>>.
Comes from the collection Riggs, before (maybe) from the collection Ressman.
The Italian name is "Lama di Coltellaccio".
by "Armi Bianche Italiane" Lionello Boccia, pag. 372
Others do not know.
I hope this helps.

Ciao
Maurizio

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Martin Fischer

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Posts: 45 Location: Cologne, Germany

Mon 24 Aug, 2009 9:48 am

..."a decapitation sword" - this is absolute nonsense.

Swords like these are often seen in decapitation-scenes in late medieval and renaissance art, but these pictures doesn't show the contemporary reality.

Regards

Martin

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Maurizio D'Angelo

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Posts: 649 Location: Italy

Tue 25 Aug, 2009 3:38 am

Martin Fischer wrote:

..."a decapitation sword" - this is absolute nonsense.

I think that in the past, someone may have used these swords for Decapitation.

But "Decapitation Sword" in the sense of the word is another thing. As says Martin.

Swords are no taper and some have three holes at the tip.
God only, knows what are serve.

Ciao
Maurizio

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Martin Fischer

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Posts: 45 Location: Cologne, Germany

Tue 25 Aug, 2009 7:08 am

Hello Mauricio,

surely - someone in the past have used these type to cut of a head.

Surely - someone in the past have used a kitchen-knive for that.

A shovel would also do this job... :D

But a Falchion, Storta or a Malchus etc. never was a typical kind of an executioners-sword.

Regards

Martin

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Maurizio D'Angelo

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Posts: 649 Location: Italy

Tue 25 Aug, 2009 12:18 pm

Martin Fischer wrote:

Hello Mauricio,

surely - someone in the past have used these type to cut of a head.

Surely - someone in the past have used a kitchen-knive for that.

A shovel would also do this job... :D

But a Falchion, Storta or a Malchus etc. never was a typical kind of an executioners-sword.

Regards

Martin

This is what I meant in previous post.
exactly what you say.
Regards

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executioners-sword.

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Martin Fischer

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Posts: 45 Location: Cologne, Germany

Tue 25 Aug, 2009 3:09 pm

...yes, Maurizio!

By the way: The fact, that you can see lots of Falchions and different types of Messer in biblical (!!!) decaptivation-scenes of the LMA depends on the intention of the artists to show a historical scene, settled in an oriental culture...

Regards

Martin

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Jorge Santos

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Posts: 19 Location: Portugal

Fri 04 Sep, 2009 12:50 pm

hello Martin.............i´m sure you like swords very much.......so.... to help you to learn a bit more about that subject i recommend you the book.... WEAPON.....from RICHARD HOLMES..... in association with ROYAL ARMOURIES MUSEUM.... see page 103.....y´ll see what i mean........Cheers to you.!!!

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Jorge Santos

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Posts: 19 Location: Portugal

Fri 04 Sep, 2009 1:08 pm

Hello Chad...!!!!!....... i´ve found the evidences in very old documents and books and if you can read Portuguese i can tell you that in the Book CRÓNICAS DE D .JOÂO I..from FERNÃO LOPES..there are mencioned some execuctions by Falchion....... for the other and you´r right....there are Falchions previous the xiv cent. I said that the falchion in the picture was a execution sword because i assumed that a sword with so much decoration was not made for battles....but to be used in special occasions...... cheers!!!!

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