[Ant Mercer]

This listing is marked SOLD and is no longer available

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A Custom goedendag made by Tod at Tod’s Stuff.

I started looking into getting one of these made after seeing a fellow forumite’s A&A offering posted on this site. I did a bit of research into them and liked the Spartan approach taken when it was designed.
I shan’t bore you with the background of the Goedendag, but there is limited information on the web if you are interested, most notably here: http://www.liebaart.org/goeden_e.htm
This limited information, whilst useful in coming up with a rough idea of what one of these looked like, nevertheless made it tricky when it came to realising the finer points such as actual length of the haft and spike. In the end, Tod and I settled on dimensions which sounded and felt right, and I think I’m right in saying that we both enjoyed seeing how the project developed and what resulted.
Essentially, the goedendag is a large club with a spike on the end. The premise being that a peasant (for this was a hastily-made peasant weapon, to be used against mounted men-at-arms, and as such had to be cheap and easy to make) would club the mounted attacker to the ground with the weighted end of the staff, and once prone, would stab him with the sturdy point. When I received the package from Tod, I had no doubt that this technique would work and work well: it’s hard to believe that anyone would be able to stay mounted after being whacked with this thing!
Like all of Tod’s pieces, this has the look and feel of a genuine article: the elm haft has been worked and tapered by hand with a draw-knife or spoke-shave, leaving a texture to the wood which helps orientate the shaft in the hand and facilitate grip. The spike, top, and bottom-cap have been well finished, but not to the extent where they look machined or mass-produced: this is a utilitarian weapon, meant to do a job, not just look pretty. Saying that, there are however some nice touches which add a bit of class to the piece: Todd has included some scalloping on the top cap; and decorative cut-outs at the base of the spike, giving the whole piece a little bit of quality.
You may be able to see from the pics that there is a slight set to the spike. This was present when it arrived with me, and, fearing that Parcelforce had battered the parcel to crap, I immediately contacted Tod who put my mind to rest: the set was there when it left him and is due to the fact that he doesn’t have a drill with a 5-foot bed! He therefore had to drill the hole for the spike by hand, like they used to do in Ye Oldene Dayes, and encountered exactly the same problem no doubt faced by those creating these pieces back in the 15th century: it’s very hard to get a 6” hole exactly straight!
Far from this being a ‘flaw’, I see this as contributing to the piece’s authenticity.

Specs:
Weight: 2.4kg/ 4.25lbs
Shaft length: 111cm/ 43.5”
Spike length: 33cm/ 13”

I would like to get £350 for this, plus p&p. It’s a great piece at a great price. It’s unused, and available now, so you get a custom, hand-made piece without the wait!

I’m really selling this for the UK market, given the weight and consequent price of postage. I would be happy to entertain offers from overseas though, but be warned that postage would be hefty, and may not be possible at all (I’d need to look into international size and weight limits).

Paypal or bank transfer accepted.

Feel free to PM me with any questions, or if you want specific photos. Or you can e-mail me at: a.mercer@leeds.ac.uk









Cheers,

Ant

[Ant Mercer]

This listing is marked SOLD and is no longer available

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SOLD! Pending payment. Whew that was fast!

Thanks,

Ant