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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2009 4:57:58 GMT
hey guys,
wow, two questions in one day, that's not like me. Anyhoo, I was just wondering about the comfort of a wire wrapped handle? They look very beautiful especially the different wraps that Jim Hrisoulas does. I have had the pleasure and the honour of handling many different types of swords with a multitude of handles but never wire wrapped. Does it offer a good grip? Does it serve any purpose other than it's obvious aesthetic value? Does it rip the hands to shreds if the weapon is used for any serious length of time?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2009 5:35:35 GMT
It just adds extra grip in the form of a rougher surface. I don't think it would hurt your hand any, as the wire itself isn't usually jagged per-se.
M.
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Post by enkidu on Jul 23, 2009 14:18:16 GMT
My ATMMXIII has the bottom half of its handle wire wrapped, it is quite confortable, but with sweaty hands it can be a bit slippery... but only a bit, not that much, not really a concern.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2009 15:21:30 GMT
Not that they hurt or cut or anything bad I just prefer the feeling of leather first and wood comes in second but that can be slippery sometimes.When I first got my Darksword Atlantian it was wrapped in gold wire ( a nice wrapping job) and I just didn't like the feeling,so i re-wrapped it in leather braided cord kind of like the original.Heres a picture of the original wire wrap.
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Post by Brendan Olszowy on Jul 23, 2009 16:43:05 GMT
Maybe worth trying it with some nice fine leather gloves anyway. It can be a little rough if you've been at it for a while, and then mainly on a singlehander, just where the grip pivots on top of your thumb sort of area; you dont get thet on two handers so much. But generally quite pleasant on the skin.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2009 18:01:52 GMT
Maybe worth trying it with some nice fine leather gloves anyway. It can be a little rough if you've been at it for a while, and then mainly on a singlehander, just where the grip pivots on top of your thumb sort of area; you dont get thet on two handers so much. But generally quite pleasant on the skin. Not to hijack the thread (well maybe a little) what type of gloves, if any, do most folks tend to use for cutting?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2009 18:15:13 GMT
I like those fingerless leather "driving gloves" you see on sterotypical bikers, I got some from Ace for $8 and they're very comfortable.
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Post by brotherbanzai on Jul 23, 2009 19:26:25 GMT
I find wire wrap gets uncomfortable after any length of time if bare handed. Probably not for just cutting but if actually doing sword work, it starts to wear on the skin. If you're wearing gloves you won't likely feel any discomfort though it may wear your gloves out a bit prematurely. Does look nice though.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2009 20:18:16 GMT
Bloodwraith: do you have a (near) future acquisition in mind (and if so, I'm curious to learn which!) or is your question out of simple curiosity?
I have only one sword with wire-wrap (a Del-Tin 2133) and I'm still hesitant as to how much I like it...It's a quite recent acquisition and I haven't really had time to play with it for an extended period of time, but after a bit of dry-handling, it indeed seems to provide a very good grip as has been said...I guess it helps if you have callous hands, thought, compared to leather...
(On an aesthetic level now (and talking only about the DT2133 as some wire-wraps are better looking than others), I'm also still hesitant: visually, do I like it better as is or should I tear it off and put a leather wrap (with cord imprint and maybe risers, etc.)? Juggling with the options here...and thinking outloud...sorry for the digression)
Ghostwalker: As to gloves, when I use some, I often use (regular, plain, brown, thin) leather work gloves (from Home Depot, I think)...they work fine for me (for now). (Windlass has some leather gauntlets available, but I have no knowledge as to their qualities)
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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2009 22:22:21 GMT
I like on two handed grips, even better when just on lower half of the grip, but I don't really like the feel of it on singlehanders. I prefer leather and even wood.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2009 0:09:21 GMT
Asked out of curiousity, I have seen a few really beautiful swords with wire grips and for presentation the look is hard to beat if done well (ala hrisoulas) and I imagine long lasting, it is a thought for the future. Personally I have a great love of wood and my hands don't tend to sweat much at all.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2009 0:31:45 GMT
Heres my CS viking that I redid, Oak wood with Stirling silver wire wrap in Boat wrap, I should have slimed the wood more and double wrapped it...SanMarc.
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Post by hotspur on Jul 26, 2009 20:59:51 GMT
I have to admit that even when I did have calloused warehouse and construction hands, light gloves have always been preferable in extended use of such items. My Del Tin 5157 has somewhat flat wind to it and has never been an issue, even in failry lengthy sessions. My Windlass pictured here has wire that sits proud of the wrap and does chew me up if I spend a lot of time with it (in one sitting, as it were). My 18th century hussar sabre has just a single wire but I do feel that extended use would still bite, as well as a couple of 19th century cavalry types I have here. The other exception has been another modern made sabre that doesn't bother me in the least in play. The depth or smoothness of wire wraps is what seems to make the biggest diffrences in my bare handed comfort. At one point, I had wrapped silver woven nylon tape between the wires on the pictured sword above. That raised the surface of the grip and made for a quite pleasurable feel but it didn't look so great. I have really grown to like military type flight gloves. I have had two pair for about fifteen years now and the pair that has shown the most wear and need replacing had seen a lot of snow shoveling and snow blower driving. That is not at all ideal for their care but have stood the trials of time quite well. It has been just the very tips of that pair that are wearing out. I did stich/repair the tips last season and will likely plod on with them for more years to come, even if I make them into shorty finger types. Those are Hatch brand summer light weight types. My other generic pair have also spent a lot of time soaking, freezing and drying and I am at roughly sixteen years into alternating them with my Hatch pair. Roughly $25 shipped for Hatch on Ebay and Sportsmans Guide has generics for about $15. Retail for the Hatch gloves run $30 to $40 but I feel them worthy at any price if I was looking for replacements. My generic $15 type have done really just as well but are not quite as stout a weave overall as the Hatch and have a slightly poorer stitching, leather to shell. Both variety tend to bleed color a bit when soaking wet. This thread made me think about buying more but what I have are still servicable and have been quite nice swording gloves. www.amfence.com has good prices on fencing gloves. The heavier leather types are popular with some. Cheers Hotspur; denying mroe glove right now as the ones I have work just fine
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2009 21:25:41 GMT
Nice sword, Hotspur, that is achieved with a half hitch, like I did on mine, or boat wrap, doing to half hitches makes a tight spiral like yours...SanMarc.
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Post by hotspur on Jul 26, 2009 22:18:21 GMT
Nice sword, Hotspur, that is achieved with a half hitch, like I did on mine, or boat wrap, doing to half hitches makes a tight spiral like yours...SanMarc. Are you refering to the Turks head knots top and bottom? www.golden-knots.com/just one of many tutorials www.golden-knots.com/tie5x4.htmlI had never considered doing a whole grip with one but the ferrule like bands are quite common on swords from the 17th through the 19th century. The other addition as shown on mine is just a silver sz14 ring that spaces the threaded pommel for my redone alingment. This model was the Windlass equivilant of the Del Tin 5160, which is still produced. They are representations of the espada ropera as shown in several Oakeshott books. The Windlass grip is actually closer to the original look than the Del Tin but the Del Tin is a nicer sword overall. It is the first modern reproduction I had bought and has been brought back off the wall for mroe regular practice. $500+ for the Del Tin now, yikes. Clyde of IMperial had a used one up for awhile but I don't see those listings anymore. Shoulda, coulda. Here is a customised 5160 Art Elwell did. If this is the same sword, it used to be in the collection of Chad Anrow, just about the time I was buying the Windlass version. www.geocities.com/ewmyers/swords/dt5160.htmAt any rate, I like the light gloves for lots of hand tool activities and wire wraps would be a great application I like the flight gloves for. Cheers Hotspur; my espada is still a great deal of fun to work with (empty cracker boxes, not really mattable or even handy on bottles)
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2009 22:24:28 GMT
No, not the turks head, that is a different knot, the spiral down the handle is what I am talking about, you tie half hitches and they will spiral down the handle and make the raised parts......SanMarc.
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Post by hotspur on Jul 26, 2009 22:33:47 GMT
I dunno, I just see them and others as twisted pairs, not knots.
In your travels, pick up a knot from a board that has fallen out. Present that to a friend or bystander, even display it grandly and ask folk what they see. It may take some discussion for them to agree wtf you are asking or presenting but you may eventually get a correct answer in that they see a knot and knot hole. Wrying exclaim to them that it is not just a knot.......
That's knot art ;D ;D
Cheers
Hotspur; twisted wire and knots are on my list of dos at some point but down the road from other projects
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