[Jonathan Hodge]

I'm looking for a reputable source for guards, pommels, etc. for sale. I found an old thread here in he forum (5 years ago) but it looks as if most of these shops have less to offer than a few years back. What are the current places/shops you look to first for this type of stuff? Thanks in advance!

[Shahril Dzulkifli]

I am not sure where to find available sources for dagger hilts, guards and pommels.

[Sean Flynt]

Darkwood is on the more expensive side of things. Be sure you know the size and weight of what you're buying: http://www.darkwoodarmory.com/index.php?main_...Path=11_13

I used an American Fencers Supply "Claymore" pommel for the dagger shown below: http://myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=29959

The spherical pommels shown below are modified from cheap Alchem ball pommels: http://alcheminc.com/pommels.html
Those are bright, spherical and with a deep, threaded pilot hole that makes drilling them pretty easy. I have used those often. They file easily, so you can flute them, create a foot, etc. Sizes avail. include 1", 1.5", 1.75" and 2" ($10-$25). If unsure what size you need, model the piece in Sculpey or clay.

[Jonathan Hodge]

Thanks Sean - you've come through for me again. In my initial search I came across your quillon dagger thread, and in a subsequent search I found a much older thread, and it looks as if some recommendations from that thread are no longer an option. Thanks for the heads up on some good places. I'm thinking I might take a look at some of the alchem offerings. I'm having the best time with historical recreation. I'm jumping in and learning as I go. What an education!

[Sean Flynt]

By the way, Jesse Belsky's new bastard sword, with guard and pommel cast from a PRINTED original design, is one of the most exciting developments I've seen in this field in a long time. http://myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=32662

The guard and pommel casts are Mike Jia's work. https://printedarmoury.wordpress.com/

It's early days, but he already has something for sale. That Zurich set (forthcoming) is especially exciting. I might want longer quillons and a narrower pommel stem, but those are very minor and subjective wishes given the overall quality shown in the prototypes and Belsky's application.

I've been waiting for somebody with a good eye, historical orientation, tech smarts and the stuff to see a complicated project to completion, to create printed designs/casts based on the Hanwei-Tinker platform (or even as un-drilled blanks). Mike Jia appears to be that guy, and Jesse Belsky is demonstrating what that means to cutlers.

I'd love to see, within 2 years, a digital shop with four or five basic pommel shapes and guards, with mild steel as the standard material. Those would have the greatest range of use and would be easily modified for a variety of applications, periods and weapons. Within 5 years, I'd like to see that shop accepting client CAD designs and/or developing those from client photos as a standard service for an appropriate fee. $125-150 for that design service and the finished pieces would be attractive to me, possibly with a discount if I give the shop all rights to further use of the design file so they can add it to their standard offerings. The work/product might well be worth more than that, but that would be my personal upper limit of affordability.

So, if I'm into the hilt for $150 and add an HT blade for $120, I have the foundation for an impressive custom project that I would never be able to afford otherwise.

What if a forward-thinking museum like The Wallace Collection were to sell 3-D files of its most famous sword pommels and guards?

[Jonathan Hodge]

I had seen this thread of Jesse's this morning - http://myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=32679, featuring some very ornate 3D printed quillon caps, but I'd yet to see his Zurich thread. Though I'm new to the recreation aspect here, I can see enormous potential - as you've noted with the Wallace Collection. The technology to create the mock ups should already exist thanks to movie VFX. I recently saw a nice piece about some special effects being done based on 3D scans of clay maquettes. This is a real possibility. I guess he only hold up is an affordable steel method...but maybe this is already possible and I just don't know about it. Jesse is doing a bronze and steel mix as he notes in his thread - seemingly affordable as well. Who do we talk to over at he Wallace Collection? I'll make the first call! 😀