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Chris Lampe
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 Posted: Thu 07 Jan, 2010 5:16 am Post subject: |
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I have to agree, the new guard is a big improvement over the old one. It makes the overall lines of the sword flow much better.
In fact, if you changed that to a type XVIII blade, it'd be my perfect sword.
Last edited by Chris Lampe on Thu 07 Jan, 2010 7:07 am; edited 1 time in total
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Artis Aboltins
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| Posted: Thu 07 Jan, 2010 6:12 am Post subject: |
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I tend to agree, the new guard seems much more fitting with the blade!
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Matthew Stagmer
Industry Professional
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| Posted: Thu 07 Jan, 2010 9:26 am Post subject: |
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Thanks guys. I also think the lines of the sword work much better with this guard. Dont rule out the old guard yet though. I have a slight modification in mind that might change the whole idea of it.
I got a few better pictures this morning.
The customer agrees BTW. He would like to now purchase both cross pieces. Good thing he cought me this morning. I was about to put it on another blade today and ship it out. 
Matthew Stagmer
Maker of custom and production weaponry
Youtube.com/ThatWorks
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Matthew Stagmer
Industry Professional
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| Posted: Fri 08 Jan, 2010 6:01 am Post subject: |
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After a bit of inner debate and permission from the customer I decided to alter the original guard a bit to make the lines flow a bit better. I feel my first attempt achieved the design that I was asked to make but it didn’t flow. I broke out the hammer and lit the forge and hammered the ends out a bit and reshaped it a bit. The top view will now have some taper unlike the original type 6 picture, but I think this is much more like an original with the tapered ends. After looking at a few type 6 hilts I think most of them look forged like this or close to it.
Matthew Stagmer
Maker of custom and production weaponry
Youtube.com/ThatWorks
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Chris Lampe
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| Posted: Fri 08 Jan, 2010 8:49 am Post subject: |
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I definately like this incarnation of the guard better than the first one but it still seems a bit disproportionate to the blade....maybe a bit too wide? Or, maybe that downcurved one is just so perfect for this blade that no other guard is going to do it justice.
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Matthew Stagmer
Industry Professional
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| Posted: Fri 08 Jan, 2010 10:30 am Post subject: |
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It did make the guard a bit longer then before. That is the nature of forging. I like both to be honest. Before it was clean cut that the 2nd guard was better. Now I am either or. However, for the intended use I think this last one works best. It says Templar to me more then the simple downturn.
Matthew Stagmer
Maker of custom and production weaponry
Youtube.com/ThatWorks
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Michael Eging
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| Posted: Fri 08 Jan, 2010 11:04 am Post subject: |
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I still like the second guard better as it seems better proportioned for the blade. But you are right, the reworked first guard is a marked improvement as well. But my personal taste still is with the second guard... Nice to see how this all came together. Thanks for sharing with us! 
M. Eging
Hamilton, VA
www.silverhornechoes.com
Member of the HEMA Alliance
http://hemaalliance.com/
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Jonathan Blair
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| Posted: Fri 08 Jan, 2010 11:13 am Post subject: |
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| Ed T. wrote: | As the customer who commissioned this piece, allow me to weigh in.
So far Baltimore Knife and Sword have exceeded my expectations on this project. I say "so far" because the sword is not finished yet. The goal of this project was to recreate a fictitious sword that features prominently in the Michael Jecks mystery series of 29 novels featuring the ex-Templar Sir Baldwin de Furnshill. With input from the author I commissioned the sword based on Oakeshott's Type XVI.4 from "Records of the Medieval Sword". The most striking design element of this sword is its heat blued blade which, according to the author, gave the blade a "peacock blue" color. Also unique to this sword are engravings within the fullers on both side of the blade.
As you see it now I think it represents a plausible re-creation of a 14th century knightly riding sword. Once blued and engraved the sword goes beyond historical interpretation and enters the realm of story telling and imagination. For me Sir Baldwin and his sword represent both fantasy and reality. I anticipate the sword, made by hand by the Stagmer Brothers, will be a treasured addition to my collection of things medieval.
Ed T.
Cockeysville, Maryland, USA |
Ed, I trust you'll bring this to a meeting soon? I would love to see this up close. I realize it may not be ready in time for January's Winter Gathering, but I would think you'd have it by February's meeting at the latest.
"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword." - The Lord Jesus Christ, from The Gospel According to Saint Matthew, chapter x, verse 34, Authorized Version of 1611
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Matthew Stagmer
Industry Professional
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| Posted: Fri 08 Jan, 2010 2:20 pm Post subject: |
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Oh, it will be finished in the next few hours and he is coming to get it Saturday. So it better be finished! 
The handle is hand sanded and stained. I just layed out the engraving and the blade is going into the kiln in a moment. Wish me luck!
Matthew Stagmer
Maker of custom and production weaponry
Youtube.com/ThatWorks
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Matthew Stagmer
Industry Professional
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| Posted: Fri 08 Jan, 2010 4:04 pm Post subject: |
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Well the heat bluing went perfect. While some choose to do it with open flame we chose to use an electric kiln which gave a nice even heat. Kerry even tweaked the setup to make the heat more even.
It's hard to get a good picture of the finish. This is the best I could do. Here it looks a little more green then it is.
Matthew Stagmer
Maker of custom and production weaponry
Youtube.com/ThatWorks
Last edited by Matthew Stagmer on Fri 08 Jan, 2010 10:18 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Tim Seaton
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| Posted: Fri 08 Jan, 2010 4:36 pm Post subject: vry kool |
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Outstanding Matt
Man what if u did that kind of head treating to the The Lindsay Sword , the lady of the lake would keep Excalibur instead of throwing it to young king arthur  J/K Were living in a great time were the Sword mean somthing again GOD BLESS
TSEATON
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Scott Kowalski
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| Posted: Fri 08 Jan, 2010 4:40 pm Post subject: |
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That bluing looks great Matt. I agree with those who like the second guard better though. The first one is just off to me for some reason. Never the less, it is a great sword and I for one hope to see more of your work here. I wonder if the bluing would come out better on natural light then with a flash?
Scott
Chris Landwehr 10/10/49-1/1/09 My Mom
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Matthew Stagmer
Industry Professional
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| Posted: Fri 08 Jan, 2010 5:33 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks fellas. No flash at all on the picture. Just hard kitchen light. I am investing in a proper photo booth soon, but for now I need day light defused to make a good picture. The morning will bring better photos.
Scott, I plan on being quite a bit more active on this forum. I have used it like a resource and I would like to give something back. This next year will be a fun one. While I have to keep up with the production end of things, I plan on doing quite a few customs this year along with intoducing a few new upscale lines. The first of which will be based on the Oakeshott collection where I will make a few of each type with historical fittings and handles.
Anyway, I am getting ahead of myself. The point is that you will be seeing more of my work this year. Thats for sure. I can't wait to share the pattern welded pieces that are near completion, but I will have to wait a bit longer as production is calling my name the next few weeks.
Matthew Stagmer
Maker of custom and production weaponry
Youtube.com/ThatWorks
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Scott Kowalski
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| Posted: Fri 08 Jan, 2010 7:16 pm Post subject: |
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That sounds great and I am looking forwards to seeing what you come up with. I am really interested in seeing what you do with the Oakeshott collection that you mentioned. I am going to be really interested if you do some of the less well represented Types like the XIa or even the XIIIb, even though I already have one of the latter.
Regards,
Scott
Chris Landwehr 10/10/49-1/1/09 My Mom
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Matthew Stagmer
Industry Professional
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| Posted: Sat 09 Jan, 2010 9:45 pm Post subject: |
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Matthew Stagmer
Maker of custom and production weaponry
Youtube.com/ThatWorks
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Ed T.
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| Posted: Sun 10 Jan, 2010 3:29 pm Post subject: |
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I am very happy with the final results. The only thing I am going to ask Matt to do is shorten the handle. the wood handle is 4 7/8" long and I would feel more comfortable with about something about 4". The blade is 25" long and 2" wide at the cross. Speaking of the cross, I agree with Matt that the more cruciform shape that the first cross piece gives the sword is more in keeping with the ex-templar knight theme.
It's been a pleasure working with the Stagmer Brothers and I look forward to our next project.
Ed T.
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Luka Borscak
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| Posted: Sun 10 Jan, 2010 4:15 pm Post subject: |
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The blade looks great. If it was my sword I would blue the fittings too, but it's beautiful anyway.
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Scott Kowalski
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| Posted: Sun 10 Jan, 2010 4:23 pm Post subject: |
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Between the pictures that you posted Matt and the one that Ed posted let me say job well done. That is a very deep rich blue. The shame will be if Ed cuts with it the bluing will start to show scratches. Though that will make it look used which is not a bad thing in and of itself.
Congratulations on being the recipient of such a nice looking pice. I would have to say that this sword will make a nice riding sword. A little to short for my tastes but a nice sword never the less.
Scott
Chris Landwehr 10/10/49-1/1/09 My Mom
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Jean Thibodeau
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| Posted: Sun 10 Jan, 2010 8:06 pm Post subject: |
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| Scott Kowalski wrote: | Between the pictures that you posted Matt and the one that Ed posted let me say job well done. That is a very deep rich blue. The shame will be if Ed cuts with it the bluing will start to show scratches. Though that will make it look used which is not a bad thing in and of itself.
Congratulations on being the recipient of such a nice looking piece. I would have to say that this sword will make a nice riding sword. A little to short for my tastes but a nice sword never the less.
Scott |
Well even sliding in and out of a scabbard or any use without white cotton gloves are eventually going to show some light wear marks. 
Very nice bluing job.
I like cold bluing: it might not be as nice but I can touch it up once in a while if the scuff marks start annoying me ! Wear marks do have character and can be acceptable if one can avoid being OCD about any signs of use.
Just as an aside: I finds that using the same abrasive I use to put on ( restore and Albion type finish ) a sating finish using a sanding sponge saturated with bluing compound one can create a medium blueish finish that looks like a natural patina or an aged blued blade. I find that one gets a very even cold blue finish this way and depending on how much one dilutes the bluing compound and how hard one rubs with the abrasive one can control how dark the bluing ends up being.
Anyway just a little tip for DIY bluing, but a hot blue like this is much deeper and more protective as well as more durable a finish and really beautiful.
You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
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Matthew Stagmer
Industry Professional
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| Posted: Mon 11 Jan, 2010 5:20 am Post subject: |
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| Ed T. wrote: | It's been a pleasure working with the Stagmer Brothers and I look forward to our next project.
Ed T. |
I can't say enough how nice it has been working on this project with you Ed. It's great working on a project like this where the customer has done his research and knows exactly what he wants. It made our job easy. To all the makers out there, if you get a chance to work with Ed, do it!
| Scott Kowalski wrote: | The shame will be if Ed cuts with it the bluing will start to show scratches. Though that will make it look used which is not a bad thing in and of itself.
Scott |
I was amazed when I tested the blued surface at how durable it was. I first used a pocket knife and tried scratching at a blued area on the tang with a fair amount of pressure and it didn’t leave a bright scratch. I also had to refinish the blade and heat it a 2nd time due to a spot on one side. I thought that I would have been able to just buff the color off, but again I surprised and had to take it back a few sanding grits to get through the color. It took me about a half hour just to sand all the color off. I would say the Chrome content in the alloy we used caused us to have to take the blade up a bit higher in temp then say 1018 would color giving us a bit more scale at those temps. I cant confirm that yet but it is a theory that I am going to test.
In the late 90's we used to make a ton of helmets that had mild tops and stainless faces. We used to bake them the same way but only the stainless had such a durable finish. You could scratch the tops if you tried.
Jean,
I like cold bluing too. In this case it was important to both the author of the book and to Ed to have the blade blued in a "forge" or heat blued because the story says it is. Last time I used a cold blue I found that a scotchbrite pad worked great. I will have to try the sponge. Sounds like it would work great.
Matthew Stagmer
Maker of custom and production weaponry
Youtube.com/ThatWorks
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