[Jason Elrod]

[Gary Grzybek]

[Jesse Smithers]

[Howard Waddell]

[Gary Grzybek]

[Russ Ellis]

[Robert W. Betten]

Congrats on the new sword, its definately an amazing piece, If I had $2500 spare I'd definately love that type of sword as an addition to the collection...the history of it definately is amazing.

[Björn Hellqvist]

Congrats, Russ, on your new baby! I know you've lusted after that sword for years, and it sure is a most excellent sword. Whenever I'm at Peter's place, I handle his reconstruction, which is all the more remarkable because it is something like the sixth(!) sword he had ever made. The pic shows his reconstruction and the original side-by-side. (Please note that the forced perspective makes the original appear smaller.)

[Robert W. Betten]

I like this image of this particular sword on your site Björn...

[Russ Ellis]

Thanks guys, I truly envy you having seen the original Bjorn. A question for you or Peter if he happens by..

Why did he build his with a rain guard? Was there some extant remains of one on the original? Or was this just his interpretation?

[Björn Hellqvist]

[Peter Johnsson]

Thanks, Björn!
(och Gott Nytt År till dig och fmiljen! )

The sword of Svante Nilsson was found in Västerås cathedral during retoration work in the late 50´s. In a grave was found the remains of a man with a naked sword resting on his bones. In the grave was also found two seals identifying the man as Svante Nilsson Sture, regent of Sweden.
When Patrik Djurfeldt ond I first examined the sword in the winter of 1998 we saw a number of details that had not been noticed before. One such thing was the niches in the pommel, a most interesting feature as it later turned out.
Another thing was a crust or flake with a different structure that was adhering to the middle of the cross guard. It had the same structure as the leather of the grip and on closer examination it turned out to be leather of a thicker kind. This was proof there had once been a rainguard on the sword.
One should not be surpriced by this as it was a very common feature on swords at this time. In fact, many of those swords we love and know well that have just a plain cross today, once had rainguars as well. It is just that these tend to be worn away by time as the leather becomes fragile as it dries out.
As to the shape of the rainguard we could only guess. There are two general types to choose from: a tubular type that encloses the blade on all sides (this is the type on the elegant "Bayerisches sword") or the rainguard can be two tounges or flaps on each face of the blade.
I tried both types and decided for the latter for my initial reconstruction. I am not fully decided yet, though. The rainguard could have been a tubular one.
We have chosen to make the Albion reconstruction not straying too far away from my initial interpreatation in these details. Most who like the sword knows it from the reconstructon with the red-brown leather and slightly leaf shaped rain guard. The exact shape of that rainguard is taken from some swords depicted in art in the church where the sword was found. We (Patrick and I) wanted some connection to the origin even as we could choose freely on different soultions. The other possibility is that the rainguard did look pretty much like the one on the Bayerisches sword.

I believe that the sword of Svante Nilsson Sture was made by the same cutler as the one who made the Bayerishes sword. I am in the process of making a custom reproduction of that incredible sword and have documented the original in Münich. It is a tremendous weapon.
Another sword that is imporant in this contex is the sword depicted on page 211 in "Records": XX.4. Oakeshott have had this in his collection and have told me that his sword once had had some kind of statuettes in the nices, as there were small lugs remaining, although the figures themselves had been removed.
The pommel on XX.4 is identical to the pommel on the Svante nilsson Sture sword.
XX.4 has a cross guard that is identical to the Bayerisches sword.
This makes an interesting chain of similar features between theses three swords. The similarity is more than a superficial similarity of type, the character of these swords is like reulting from the same "handwriting" if you like.
Having handeled the "Bayerisches sword" I can testify it express much of the same crispness and prescence as the sword of Svante Nlsson Sture. Both these swords also have tremendous authority. Once you´ve seen them they will linger in your memory.

Svante Nilsson Sture was not the nobleman who was murdered by the king Erik the XIV. That drama took place in the later 16th C.
Svante Nilsson Sture was active in the late 1400 and early 1500. He was born around 1460 and came to be regent (king without crown) of Sweden between 1504-1512.
He took part in the war agianst Russia 1495-97 with distinguished honors. He took the castle of Ivangorod and created a name for himself as a resourcefull warrior.
The times he lived in were chaotic with almost constant aggression and struggle between those in favour and those against the union between Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Svante Nilsson fought on both sides in the conflict, as suited his purposes. He was very much the renaissance man in that way. His worst rival was Sten Sture the elder, who was a skilled and ruthless politician, entepreneur and warrior (he is today more well known than Svante Nilsson).

We do not know when and how Svante Nillson got his sword. I have a favourite theory, though.
He helped the Danish king to the throne of Sweden in opposition to Sten Sture (his rival). As thanks for his role in this Svante was dubbed knight: a rare thing at this time.
In the ceremony the sponsor of the knight is supposed to present him with a sword. The Knight to be is to swear fealty to his sponsor by three saints (I cannot remember wich right now). Svante´s knightly sword could have been the sword that accompanied him in his grave. In the three niches in the pommel could have been placed the saints he swore his knighlty oath by.
As Svante later made rebellion against the Danish king (and we assume the sword was given as a sign of his knigthood) it is not unreasonale to think he pried away the three holy images, not to be reminded by his betrayal to his liege. As we know he was proud of his knightly title (his wife lovingly called him "my sinister knight" in personal letters) it is also understandable why his family wanted the sword to rest with him in his grave. (Being entombed with a sword was rare in Sweden at this time, but it was common in Denmark).
There is no way of prooving this theory, but to me it is an attractive thought.
We also know that Maximilian I presented swords as gift to the Danish king (the same that dubbed Svante).
In a woodcut we can see Maximilian wearing a sword very similar to the sword of Svante Nilsson.

The sword as produced today by Albion is more accurate than my initial reconstruction. I have returned to the original a number of times for further study and seen aspects/details that I was not aware of when I made the first version. These have been incorporated in the development of the Albion-produced sword. The blade is more detailed in its distal taper, the cross section is more refined and the pommel is more detailed and defined. I am happy to see that those who will now own the production version will have a sword that is closer to the original than my handforged sword that was made some years ago.
As has been testified by others, the sword handles remarcably well. It is massive but is still extremely agile. The blade is skillfuly made and has impressive dimensions. Some think the thick blade and the pronounced midrib and concave edge bevels would be detrimental to the cutting performance. This is not so. The sword cuts very well and delivers with rare authority. The heft, mass and balance of this sword works together resutling in a very powerful and graceful weapon. It is without a doubt an example of the higest level of the swordmakers art in the late 15th/ early 16th C. To study this sword has been a privilege and a humbling experience for me as a contemporary sword maker. I am happy and proud to see Albion now making this sword available to enthusiasts, and to a level of excellence that makes the original justice.
(Thanks, it was good to get this of my chest )

Please note:
The infamous "Sture killings" in the castle of Uppsala took place in 1567. Those unfortunates killed by the crazed king Erik XIV was Svante Sture jr (born 1517; a grandson of our Svante Nilsson Sture) and his both sons Nils & Erik Svantesson Sture.
The viceroy Svante Nilsson Sture had rested(?) in his grave a long time by then. I can imagin he would have had some words to say to Erik XIV and perhaps underline his reasoning with a few swift strokes with his great knightly sword of war...

[Jesse Smithers]

[Peter Johnsson]

[David McElrea]

Peter Jonhsson wrote:

[Russ Ellis]

Thanks for the fascinating information Peter. You also answered an earlier question I had about why you thought that there might be some sort of saintly icons in the pommel recesses. Now I'm going to go look up all the swords you referenced.

[Ben Sweet]

Congrats Russ! I'm looking forward to your review and more pics!

[Steve Grisetti]

Somehow, I was never terribly excited by the Svante sword from the pictures on the Albion site. I am afraid that the views here, for some reason, have started me down the road to an expensive obsession

By the way, Russ, if you should ever get tired of your Svante, or maybe it takes up too much room at your house, I would be happy to help you out....

[Russ Ellis]

Lol the weird thing is Steve, that when I very first saw the sword I had the same impression... Interesting but not to impressive. Then I kept going back and looking at that pommel. Then I kept going back and looking at that blade. Then I kept reading more of the history behind it. Then I saw some of Peter's detailed drawings on Albion's site... Then I got to thinking and thinking and thinking. It grows on you.

There was also a very good article in Albion's magazine about the reconstruction that I highly recommend if you can get your hands on a copy.

[Joe Fults]

I was r-e-a-l close to trying one out for a while there.

School won out in the end though.