Two-Handed Great Sword -- myArmoury.com

Daniel Wallace · Posted: Tue 23 Oct, 2012 8:07 am Post subject:

it doesn't have too much distal taper in my opinion in comparison to other swords of its size. normally your going to see it begin a little fatter towards the guard.

it looks to me from one of your photos that the tang is peened over - so it looks to be built with the right idea - but to what idea.

there's too many design ideas here that just don't follow what i've been seeing from other two handers so i would also tend to believe this is a reproduction sword of some kind. but how old, i think only carbon dating could tell the truth of its age.

Dana Williams · Posted: Tue 23 Oct, 2012 8:28 am Post subject:

In 1989 the sword in question was loaned to a large museum for display. The museum had it professionally appraised at the time for insurance purposes. It was identified as a late 15th or early 16th century Two-handed European sword. I am still a neophyte when it comes to swords of this type.

Ralph Grinly · Posted: Tue 23 Oct, 2012 2:03 pm Post subject:

The thing that looks odd to me is those parrienhooks..as the sword stands now..they serve no useful purpose ? I was under the impression that, originally they were designed to offer hand protection if the sword wielder wanted to shorten his grip and grasp below the quillons. No way could anyone do that with this sword. Maybe it is as old as it's supposed to be..but I doubt it was ever intended to be anything more than a bearing sword as it currently stands

Dana Williams · Posted: Tue 23 Oct, 2012 2:32 pm Post subject:

Thanks Ralph, I hear what everyone is saying and I agree that those parrienhooks look too close to the guard, but I have seen others that were close. The shape of the parrienhooks would not make for very good hand protection if you tried to grip behind them. I am starting to think it may be a ceremonial sword. So I am looking for more contemporary examples. James Moore contribute some useful information about the Visconti of Milan and their Coat of Arms and the St George’s Cross.

Nathan Robinson · myArmoury Admin

This really does look to be a sword made in the last 100 years.

Daniel Wallace · Posted: Wed 24 Oct, 2012 8:11 am Post subject:

as a ceremonial two hander they are pretty stylish. a little too stylish and they become far to heavy for any piratical use. i may be corrected here if i'm wrong but they also display the use of tassels in the grip. the center riser and just above the pummel, which over time could have been lost here.

parierhaken are normally attributed to half swording, but their more simple function is to protect your fingers when their wrapped above the quillons in an italian grip. so having them close to the guard is normal, the later german styled sword have a little bit more distance between them and its again attributed to half swording these swords.

i don't mean to be disrespectful to the museum that looked over the sword nor yourself especially being that it is appraised. but who appraised it? someone who was specific to arms and armour or an antique dealer of some kind?

the sword really raises a lot of questions even if this is a bearing sword, its like none i've seen. it looks like a 16th century hilt and pummel, but the quillons themselves are short and bulky. the blade is out of the ordinary, as well as the grip.

Dana Williams · Posted: Wed 24 Oct, 2012 8:28 am Post subject:

Thanks Daniel. I welcome all the input that I am getting from this forum. I am learning a lot. Right now I am trying to get the appraisal paperwork from the 80s. I have just found out that my father purchased this sword Joe Kindig Jr. in the late 1950s or early 60s. Kindig is best know for his collection of Kentucky rifles and the book he wrote about them “Thoughts on the Kentucky Rifle in It's Golden Age” At the bottom of the Depression he was buying up a lot of antiques in Pennsylvania.