The sword is finished--the best I can do with the materials, time and skill set currently at my disposal. I'll take a little break before making a scabbard, but I do plan to have a scabbard and suspension.

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I'll switch to defense this fall and see what I can do with this $100 breast--new fauld, trimmed shoulders, reversal of straps, new straps and buckles, refinishing, etc. Should be fun!

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First of all, magnificent work! It's a beautiful piece. If you ever get tired of our day job, you could consider custom work of this kind full time! Secondly, where did you grab that $100 breastplate- production piece or a good buy from the marketplace here? As my education continues, the most fun part is doing the custom work!

Thanks! You can see more about that new breast here. I got mine at KOA, andvIbthink it's a great foundation for a project.
https://myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?p=307932

Very nice Job Sean - from documentation to execution + clever use of tweaked existing parts...as usual! I like your work on the peen+nut...very neat. Your finished sword looks very close to those later bastard sword that come up on Herman Historica from time to time - with its slender blade and complex hilt. Roping on the raisers now? :)

Hi Sean, Wonderful as usual! I really like the tying together of the similar-yet-different components and lines ... this is the kind of organic synergy I really appreciate about historical pieces, and so often seems to be absent from modern reproductions. Bravo!

(And, if you ever need to move this one on to make way for other projects, she's really welcome to join the rest of her 'family' here! :D )

haha! I might have to sell an older piece of my collection, just to fund the little work i still find time to do!

Thanks, Julien! I'm going wait about roping the risers. My impression of the final piece is that roping would be a little too much. I'll live with the piece for awhile and revisit it for the scabbard. The look of the scabbard will factor into the overall set, so I want to see that before I commit to further decoration.

Fantastic work Sean.

I really love the way that you simply go at it, with a good dose of time, skill and aesthetic judgement and come out with really great pieces like this - an inspiration.

Tod

That means a lot to me, Tod! Especially as I contemplate the sublime A479 project you posted on your FB page. :eek: I'm one of that circle of folks who love these early 16th complex-hilt swords.

Hi Sean,
That sword turned out very nice - does it handle as well as it looks?

--ElJay

Thanks! For handling, I would say that it feels light and quick due to the massive pommel on a hand-and-a-half grip.

My gut feeling is that this one could use a few more inches of blade. That would bring up the weight and give it more blade presence. As you see it here, the COG is ~3.6" below the guard, weight is maybe 2.75 lbs. and it's ~42.5" overall. I would think that 4", 2.5 lbs. and 46 inches would be closer to what I would want to feel, but that's nit-picking. It's a very lively sword that should look nice fully finished with scabbard and suspension.

There isn't much variety in the line of Hanwei-Tinker blades, but this narrow Type XVIII has many applications in the period that interests me. Max thickness is about .20". I think this blade would work best for a single-hand sword in the mode of the Castillon swords. You'd have only to cut the tang. I have wondered if the H-T viking blade might be adapted for a Katzbalger blade--adding narrow lines alongside the broad fuller. Something for the future, perhaps.