That sword is drop dead beautiful. Add me to the list of people nagging you for a review!

That is just lovely Nathan! I agree - his attention to detail is amazing, and what really sets his work apart.

I have a commission that must be getting close to the top of his list, so I'm really excited to see more great work out of Mr. Barta.

Gordon

Nathan,

Yet another beautiful sword you've acquired. Amazing work!

Cheers,

Bill

Indeed, Nathan, that's one of the coolest swords I've seen in a long, long while. Congratulations, Sir!

I find it very interesting that it has a thumb-ring in the guard, too. Any ideas as to when that option became popular in swords? I know that they're prevalent in late-17th and early-18th Century swords, and known in mid-17th Century mortuaries and such, but any ideas as to their earliest introduction?

Cheers!

Gordon

Hi there,
As to the use of the thumb ring - I know that they were widely used amongst the devastatingly cool 'walloon' hilt styles popular during the 17th century in europe. I wonder why these beautiful and practical hilt types are so little replicated by contemporary makers? The thumb rings (in my limited experience) contribute superbly to the control and 'power-steering' of light cut and thrust style blades.

Cheers, Adam S.

Congratulations Nathan!

That sword is the most impressive piece of work I've seen for quite some time! It clearly shows how sophisticated your taste is. Your pictures also show how much research and detail Patrick Bàrta puts into his work. What impresses me the most is the balance between the excellence in the detail and how functional and (in a way) modest it also looks.
I surely hope you will not have to sell it.

Thanks for sharing. Will you write a review or just add her to your collection-pictures?

Cheers,
Henrik

I decided to take a few more photos of this piece and wanted to share them with all of you.

I spent a bit more time with the lighting setup. The large versions are a bit higher resolution than the last batch.

I hope you enjoy them.

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Click photos for larger versions

Nathan;

Wow, that's just a marvelous sword, and it get's better looking every time I look at your pictures of it. Thanks for posting more photo's!

Cheers!

Gordon

Those photos - Now that is what I call Clarity.

Even though this is not my period that is just exquisite.

Hi Nathan

Very, very, nice ....

Might you have a shot looking into the basket (rear view), and also a front view snap ?
An while I'm being greedy ..... perhaps one in-hand ?

Beautiful piece all around, Mac

man, Patrick's stuff just never ceases to amaze me, thanks for the pics Nathan.

One of the things I especially like about this sword is the evidence of forging present in the baskets components. You can see several forging pits here and there at the juncture of the baskets bars, as well as within the interior. While our modern sensibilities often rebel at this kind of feature, it is quite common in originals of any era. This is an aspect that I'm really starting to appreciate in modern recreations, as I think it really adds texture to the piece.

I was thinking the sword is very nice, but I am really in awe of the photography. I am so lame when it comes to that. Thanks for posting the pictures, it is nice to see the great artwork that is being created out there.