Long handled swords with brazil nut pommels -- myArmoury.com

Luka Borscak

I'm looking for pictures of swords with brazil nuts and grips longer than normal singlehanders, but they don't have to have full two handed grips. It's for one of my new custom projects. Similar to this sword from the Geibig article: http://www.myArmoury.com/view.html?features/pic_geibig21.jpg or this fantasy one (from a Game of Thrones, but looks quite historical), sword of Rob Stark (I couldn't find a better picture):

Tim Lison · Posted: Mon 30 May, 2011 10:22 pm Post subject:

Don't forget the one in the "multiple miscellaneous" section of Records. I belive it's #8 in that section although I don't have the book handy.

Scott Woodruff · Posted: Mon 30 May, 2011 10:50 pm Post subject:

There are a few threads showing such swords. Look for the "Early Great Sword" thread and "custom type N". I used to have all the relevant threads in my favorites because it can be hard to find the right thread here on myArmoury, but I erased them all.

Luka Borscak · Posted: Wed 01 Jun, 2011 2:26 pm Post subject:

Luka Borscak · Posted: Wed 01 Jun, 2011 2:30 pm Post subject:

Triple fullered warsword with brazil nut pommel from this thread is also very interesting but the picture of it is not very good... http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t...highlight=

Scott Woodruff · Posted: Thu 02 Jun, 2011 11:41 am Post subject:

Have you checked out Kazavecius's book on Lithuanian swords? It is available online and has a few examples of what you are looking for. Between the Kazavecius book, the myArmoury threads and the Geibig article, I think that pretty well covers every known example of the type. We'll have to dig up some new ones if we want more.

Luka Borscak · Posted: Thu 02 Jun, 2011 3:11 pm Post subject:

Could you find a link for me? Any google search including "Kazavecius" achieves no results...

Scott Woodruff · Posted: Thu 02 Jun, 2011 9:09 pm Post subject:

Sorry, I misspelled it. Here is the address: www.club-kaup.narod.ru/kaup_r_kazakevicius00_orig.html

J.D. Crawford · Posted: Fri 03 Jun, 2011 6:16 am Post subject:

Luka Borscak · Posted: Mon 06 Jun, 2011 3:35 pm Post subject:

Thanks Scott! Some very interesting stuff there...
These two might be pretty good examples of what I'm looking for, if proportions don't fool me, they do seem to have longer than normal grips:

Photobucket image

Scott Woodruff · Posted: Fri 17 Jun, 2011 9:08 pm Post subject:

I think the first is indeed a long gripped sword, but the second probably is not, just a rather narrow-bladed 1-hander. Type P's were never long gripped as far as I know, but these Lithuanian swords can always surprise you. Also, I suspect that some of the illustrations may be subtly distorted, and it seems that such distortions in illustration always lean towards making the grip look longer, never shorter.

Scott Woodruff · Posted: Fri 16 Mar, 2012 8:42 pm Post subject:

Actually, I looked it up and that type P has a 12cm long grip.

Bruno Giordan · Posted: Sat 17 Mar, 2012 6:58 am Post subject:

Luka, I have just played with one of such longswords ... very beautiful to see, 12 cm handle, very long blade but, but, but, darnedly blade heavy.

Are you sure you would really want such a blade for your project?

Phil D. · Posted: Sat 17 Mar, 2012 7:42 am Post subject:

This is a beautiful one that Michael Pikula made for Rex Metcalf...the pic (see download) and specs are provided by Rex Metcalf from another post here on myArmoury.You can find his post with more pics (w/scabbard) if you scroll half way down the attached page:

http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t...ula+brazil

Scott Woodruff · Posted: Sat 17 Mar, 2012 1:35 pm Post subject:

Bruno, am I to understand that you recently got to handle an original? If that is so, I am quite envious and would love to hear more about it.

Bruno Giordan · Posted: Sat 17 Mar, 2012 4:02 pm Post subject:

Scott Woodruff · Posted: Sun 18 Mar, 2012 11:14 am Post subject:

Wow! Thank you very much Bruno. I am fascinated by ( even a little obsessed with ) these early greatswords. I really appreciate the pics and the measurements that you were able to provide. I really want to replicate one of these blade-heavy beasts, but I want to get it just right and not go too far nor fall short. If there are any other tidbits of information you can remember about this sword, I would really appreciate it. Things like approximate center of mass or even a more detailed comparison of how it felt in handling compared to other swords. Also, can you remember what the edge geometry was like? Did it have thin cutting edges or thicker axe-like edges? Is the entire tang length 12cm or is that the grip length? I find it interesting how students of the sword had to work so hard to disprove the myth of the crowbar sword only to find with further study that some swords are indeed quite crowbar-like. Variety is the spice of life! The blade I currently have has the following measurements- Blade length: 90cm, blade width at base: 5.45cm, blade width at 60cm: 4cm, blade thickness at base: 5.5mm, blade thickness at 60cm: 3.1mm. Fuller is 70 cm long and 10-16mm wide. Total tang size is 17 cm long by 2.1 cm wide. I think this blade is in the ballpark, but I want to make one with longer, wider tang, less profile taper and maybe thicker and/or with less distal taper. I am dying to get some detailed and accurate measurements of one of these swords so that I can proceed on something more than intuition and educated guesses. Thank you again Bruno, you have filled in another piece of the puzzle for me.
PS- what do you mean by "blade at debole still wants to cut, yes i notice it"?

Chad Arnow · myArmoury Team

Check out this thread for early great swords: http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=8309

Scott Woodruff · Posted: Sun 18 Mar, 2012 12:29 pm Post subject:

Thanks Chad, I have seen it. Not much in the way of measurements. Marko Aleksic's paper on type N swords provides some good measurements, but not any info on total mass, blade thickness, distal taper, center of mass, pivot points, or any of those hard-to-find goodies that I so desperately want.

Bartek Strojek · Posted: Sun 18 Mar, 2012 12:46 pm Post subject:

I have rather small hands, and still can't really imagine 12cm tang to be comfortable for any sort of two handed grip, especially with brazil nut pommel.

I can be very well missing something, and it's just a speculation obviously, but I would agree with suggestion about large guy wanting some "big guns", but still one handed ones. Wink