| Author |
Message |
|
Eric Spitler
|
 Posted: Sun 17 Apr, 2005 8:39 pm Post subject: |
 |
|
| Gary Grzybek wrote: | Nice analogy Peter since we have a Greyhound and he's very quick and agile 
The Crecy sounds like it's going to be very sweet. |
But he has yet to answer the most pressing question of all: What grip color should I get it in? 
Moderator note: Edited quote down to only include the relevant portion.
|
|
  |
 |
|
Peter Johnsson
Industry Professional
|
| Posted: Tue 19 Apr, 2005 4:35 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Eric Spitler wrote: | | Gary Grzybek wrote: | Nice analogy Peter since we have a Greyhound and he's very quick and agile
The Crecy sounds like it's going to be very sweet. |
But he has yet to answer the most pressing question of all: What grip color should I get it in?
Moderator note: Edited quote down to only include the relevant portion. |
Dark brown 
|
|
 |
|
Felix Thieme
|
| Posted: Thu 21 Apr, 2005 12:44 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Hmmm...being more of a great dane sort of guy myself (well, great half-swede, actually, but I digress), I think the Crecy sounds a little too light for my preferences...I am looking for the biggest nice warsword I can afford, after all; something that I can actually get full advantage of in two hands. Being as big and tall as I am, my AT1415 is too light and a little too short to fill that niche...but the Baron looks perfect.
Thanks for the info; it helped me make up my mind. Now all I have to do is raise the money...
|
|
 |
|
|
Gary Grzybek
|
| Posted: Thu 21 Apr, 2005 4:00 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Felix Thieme wrote: | Hmmm...being more of a great dane sort of guy myself (well, great half-swede, actually, but I digress), I think the Crecy sounds a little too light for my preferences...I am looking for the biggest nice warsword I can afford, after all; something that I can actually get full advantage of in two hands. Being as big and tall as I am, my AT1415 is too light and a little too short to fill that niche...but the Baron looks perfect.
Thanks for the info; it helped me make up my mind. Now all I have to do is raise the money... |
You'll find the Baron to be quite beefy and yet very managable. It's the ultimate sword of war
Gary Grzybek
ARMA Northern N.J.
www.armastudy.org
|
|
|
|
|
|
Robert B. Allison
|
| Posted: Mon 02 May, 2005 9:32 am Post subject: |
|
|
A question for the Albion guys.....I recently ordered a Maintz Gladius and understand that they'll be coming in the next month or so, and am very much looking forward to it. I'm wondering what was decided with respect to the grip material? I know that the 1st Gen gladii used bone, but that there were problems/concerns with that in a number of respects, and that some sort of wood was being contemplated instead of bone. Also, I'm curious as to how you attach the pommel. Since they are of wood I assume that you do not hot peen them.
This is my first ever post on this forum. I've been lurking for a while and am very new to this hobby, am enjoying all of the threads and info to be found here.
|
|
|
|
|
Eric McHugh
Industry Professional
|
| Posted: Mon 02 May, 2005 12:21 pm Post subject: Presently |
|
|
| Robert B. Allison wrote: | A question for the Albion guys.....I recently ordered a Maintz Gladius and understand that they'll be coming in the next month or so, and am very much looking forward to it. I'm wondering what was decided with respect to the grip material? I know that the 1st Gen gladii used bone, but that there were problems/concerns with that in a number of respects, and that some sort of wood was being contemplated instead of bone. Also, I'm curious as to how you attach the pommel. Since they are of wood I assume that you do not hot peen them.
This is my first ever post on this forum. I've been lurking for a while and am very new to this hobby, am enjoying all of the threads and info to be found here. |
We are planning on using walnut for the guard and pommel and holly for the grip. It should provide a nice contrast while being historically plausible.
Find me on Facebook, or check out my blog. Contact me at eric@crownforge.net or ericmycue374@comcast.net if you want to talk about a commission or discuss an available piece.
|
|
|
|
|
Steve Grisetti
|
| Posted: Mon 02 May, 2005 3:18 pm Post subject: Re: Presently |
|
|
| Eric McHugh wrote: | | Robert B. Allison wrote: | | ...Also, I'm curious as to how you attach the pommel. Since they are of wood I assume that you do not hot peen them.... |
We are planning on using walnut for the guard and pommel and holly for the grip. It should provide a nice contrast while being historically plausible. |
Eric,
I also am curious about the hilt assembly process on these wood-hilted swords. Where the typical NG hilt has the steel guard and pommel attached with interference fits + hot peening, that would not seem practical where the guard and pommel are wood. So do you simply peen and rely on compression of the assembly to keep it tight?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Robert B. Allison
|
| Posted: Mon 02 May, 2005 3:21 pm Post subject: Re: Presently |
|
|
| Eric McHugh wrote: | | We are planning on using walnut for the guard and pommel and holly for the grip. It should provide a nice contrast while being historically plausible. |
Thanks, Eric, that ought to look great. How is the guard, grip and pommel attached to the tang?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Peter Johnsson
Industry Professional
|
| Posted: Tue 03 May, 2005 1:48 am Post subject: Re: Presently |
|
|
| Steve Grisetti wrote: | | Eric McHugh wrote: | | Robert B. Allison wrote: | | ...Also, I'm curious as to how you attach the pommel. Since they are of wood I assume that you do not hot peen them.... |
We are planning on using walnut for the guard and pommel and holly for the grip. It should provide a nice contrast while being historically plausible. |
Eric,
I also am curious about the hilt assembly process on these wood-hilted swords. Where the typical NG hilt has the steel guard and pommel attached with interference fits + hot peening, that would not seem practical where the guard and pommel are wood. So do you simply peen and rely on compression of the assembly to keep it tight? |
The assembly of the hilts of the roman swords combine tight fit of the wooden parts and a healthy riveting of the peen on the rivet block, but there are also some other aspects of the construction that are important.
When developing these swords I spent some extra attention of the method of assembly. The grip is actually fitted into the guard and pommel, a detail I´ve noted on surviving originals. The grip has lugs that fit tightly into recesses in the guard and pommel making the hilt a self supporting unit when the glue has set.
The seating of the guard is also helped by the bronze guard plate that has a recess to take the shoulders of the blade, not only a hole for the tang. The guard plate is precisely fitted into the guard and this spreads the load making the construction markedly sturdier.
The rivet block is patterned closely after originals. A small detail that still is very important. A feature you can see on original rivet blocks is that they have a fairly broad base. This creates a good even pressure on the pommel, making the riveting very effective. The rivet will be peened using mild heat, not enough to scorch the wood but enough to soften the steel.
With medieval swords you often need to use higher heat when riveting steel tangs, since the rivets quite often are shaped, not merely formed into a nail head. An important feature on both medieval swords and the Gladii is that the rivet block is more or less countersunk, so that part of the rivet is hidden. This makes for a strong rivet.
Swords with wooden hilt components, like roman and celtic swords depend on a tight fit between the parts. It is similar in that respect to medieval swords, but you obviously cannot do the same type of pressing with wood, nor can you use the same amount of heat while riveting, but that is not necessary. The individual parts need to be constructed with this in mind. A hilt all made up of organic components can be secured with glue in a way that iron and wood does not allow. Original swords are great examples of how this is done. Small details will have big inpact on the final sword both for performance and sturdiness.
|
|
|
|
|
Steve Grisetti
|
| Posted: Tue 03 May, 2005 11:47 am Post subject: Re: Presently |
|
|
| Peter Johnsson wrote: | | The assembly of the hilts of the roman swords combine tight fit of the wooden parts and a healthy riveting of the peen on the rivet block, but there are also some other aspects of the construction that are important.... |
Peter,
Thanks for your very helpful (as always!) explanation on the gladii hilt assembly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Peter Busch
|
| Posted: Tue 03 May, 2005 10:59 pm Post subject: walnut |
|
|
| Quote: | | We are planning on using walnut for the guard and pommel and holly for the grip. It should provide a nice contrast while being historically plausible. |
It's a shame you guys aren't going to be using African Blackwood (http://www.blackwoodconservation.org/tree.html) and Holly. After all the blackwood is what the ancients knew as Ebony at that time. I think a really dark hilt and bone or holly grip would look stunning.
Nevertheless walnut would look good too.
Cheers,
http://www.swordforum.com/fall99/1865.html
http://www.oakeshott.org/1831art.html
|
|
|
|
|
Gabriel Stevens
|
| Posted: Wed 04 May, 2005 9:24 am Post subject: |
|
|
|
Blackwood and Ebony are both tough to work with. Ebony is so dense that the dust can be detrimental to health if you breath enough of it.
|
|
 |
|
|
Robert B. Allison
|
| Posted: Wed 04 May, 2005 10:23 am Post subject: |
|
|
|
Thanks to both Peter and Eric for the great, detailed info on the soon-to-be-forthcoming (I hope!!) gladii. Can't wait for the Mainz I've reserved to arrive, I'm sure it will be a beautiful piece.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alina Boyden
|
| Posted: Wed 04 May, 2005 6:07 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Gabriel Stevens wrote: | | Blackwood and Ebony are both tough to work with. Ebony is so dense that the dust can be detrimental to health if you breath enough of it. |
Does it give you a rash like cocobolo? That stuff is my favorite wood of all time - gorgeous.
|
|
|
|
|
Gabriel Stevens
|
| Posted: Wed 04 May, 2005 10:09 pm Post subject: |
|
|
|
I've never had a problem with getting a rash from it, and I worked with enough at a time that I was literally covered in Ebony dust, but it can irritate the eyes and isn't healthy to breathe. If you like cocobola you'd love one of my long term projects. I have a bare spatha blade from albion that I still need to get around to mounting and I've got two beautiful pieces of cocobola one more chocolate colored the other red/orange for the various hilt components. Alas I've yet to get going on it though I've had the blade for over a year now....
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alina Boyden
|
| Posted: Wed 04 May, 2005 10:18 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Gabriel Stevens wrote: | | I've never had a problem with getting a rash from it, and I worked with enough at a time that I was literally covered in Ebony dust, but it can irritate the eyes and isn't healthy to breathe. If you like cocobola you'd love one of my long term projects. I have a bare spatha blade from albion that I still need to get around to mounting and I've got two beautiful pieces of cocobola one more chocolate colored the other red/orange for the various hilt components. Alas I've yet to get going on it though I've had the blade for over a year now.... |
That's a really clever idea. I might steal it. I have tons of cocobolo blanks lying around. I bought 50 pounds of the stuff for like 30 dollars on ebay just because I think it's pretty. So I have it sitting in my room.
|
|
|
|
|
Gabriel Stevens
|
| Posted: Wed 04 May, 2005 11:06 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Why thank you, now if turns out half as nice as it looks in my head....actually this project has started and stopped a few times now. Wood choice, hilt design, the whole thing has changed as time has gone by. At this point I think I'm going to go for a more Migration Era look to the hilt with the wood sandwiched between rivetted metal plates though who knows I might change my mind again before I actually start cutting. Please make one yourself then we can compare notes. Ever tried glueing cocobola?  Hehehehe.......
|
|
|
|
|
Steve Grisetti
|
| Posted: Thu 05 May, 2005 1:11 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Alina Boyden wrote: | | Gabriel Stevens wrote: | | Blackwood and Ebony are both tough to work with. Ebony is so dense that the dust can be detrimental to health if you breath enough of it. |
Does it give you a rash like cocobolo? That stuff is my favorite wood of all time - gorgeous. |
There are a lot of woods that can produce rashes in people. It is dependent upon the sensitivity of the person in question. Like me, for instance - I'm getting a rash just thinking about it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rod Proulx
|
| Posted: Sun 08 May, 2005 11:21 pm Post subject: the new next gen mainz gladii |
|
|
i had a couple questions concerning the new gladii and mainz in particular...
will there be any changes to blade/edge geometry from the 1st gen? the edges on my 1st gen pompeii are the knife edge style - secondary edge bevel. will the next gen gladii have sword edges...rolled to the edge?
how about blade thickness and distal taper... are the next gens going lighter, heavier or staying same?
Concerning the Mainz.... is the grip going to be like the 1st gen... round. or will it be more like the pompeii grip? imo flat sides feel much better than round.
any changes to the mainz blade shape and dimensions?
Lastly, when will the Mainz be available?
|
|
|
|
|
Jason Dingledine
|
| Posted: Mon 09 May, 2005 10:20 am Post subject: Re: the new next gen mainz gladii |
|
|
| Rod Proulx wrote: | i had a couple questions concerning the new gladii and mainz in particular...
will there be any changes to blade/edge geometry from the 1st gen? the edges on my 1st gen pompeii are the knife edge style - secondary edge bevel. will the next gen gladii have sword edges...rolled to the edge?
how about blade thickness and distal taper... are the next gens going lighter, heavier or staying same?
Concerning the Mainz.... is the grip going to be like the 1st gen... round. or will it be more like the pompeii grip? imo flat sides feel much better than round.
any changes to the mainz blade shape and dimensions?
Lastly, when will the Mainz be available? |
Hey Rod,
I'll let Peter handle the rest of the questions concerning the new blades, but I did want to clarify something about the first gens.
Only about the first 6 months worth of roman/celtic blades had the old knife edges on them. Once we started the Medieval section of the first gens (Crecy, Acre, Hastings, etc.) everything had a proper sword edge on them. I had gotten more practice by then, and my education had expanded quite a bit.
But, yes, all blades produced as part of the Next Gen line will have sword edges, and yes the new blades will be slightly lighter than the old ones (by how much I'm not certain yet). I'll let Peter fill in the rest of the blanks.
Jason Dingledine
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This is a standard topic