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Post by Deleted on Oct 4, 2009 3:11:44 GMT
Okay,
So I've had my bastard sword for all of 2.5 weeks and I'm just itching to get a gladius ;D. Thankfully we've rolled into a new quarter so it fits into my budget timeline (1 sword a quarter).
So I've been poking around on this forum as well as SFI. So, as with the bastard sword, my two main criteria is that I want it to be historically accurate and functional. I've read some good things about the kris cutlery gladius - but I think that was a pompeii and not a mainz gladius. I believe the mainz gladius was the gladius used by Roman Legions in creating the empire and the pompeii gladius came after the empire was formed. I can't remember if the fulham was in between or after the pompeii.
So I'm wondering who makes a good gladius that fits my simple and basic requirements. Finding a functional one isn't the challenge, imo, but finding one that is historically accurate is, from what I can tell.
So right now I'm looking at Mark Morrow. There were some solid recommendations for his work - both the quality and the accuracy. Has anyone here seen / handled his work? Are there other options I should consider?
Thanks.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 4, 2009 7:04:23 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 4, 2009 8:00:52 GMT
If you have the money, sure. I don't. I would ask RicWilly, he has lots of gladius. I'm sure he could help you.
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Post by YlliwCir on Oct 4, 2009 13:22:17 GMT
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Chenessfan. I'm don't know if I'm more versed on history than a lot of people tho. I do like a good gladius. Sounds like your on the right track, Kokoro. Historical accuracy combined with function is hard to come by in gladii, I think. I like the look of the Mark Morrow blades and of course Albion rules also. For a cheaper option I like the looks of Hanwei's Mainz. Albion's site has this to say about the Fulham; The Fulham pattern gladius is of the same early period as the Mainz style -- it has been theorized that they are actually the same basic pattern and represent only a slight variation of the basic leaf-blade pattern, possibly due to differing regional or manufacturing styles.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 4, 2009 15:54:07 GMT
That gladius from Hanwei looks good. The blade's a bit too slender and long but except for that it's pretty historical accurate.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 4, 2009 17:25:17 GMT
That Hanwei Gladius looks nice.
The Albion Allectus looks real real nice, $700 is a little out of my price range. I'm still learning a lot of the basics about swords and, while I'm willing to go into $300-$500 range on a purchase I'm not yet willing to go above that. Unfortunately, that takes Albion out of the running for the near future.
The mark morrow blades have me interested in how the pricing works in that its $13/inch - so a 20" blade is around $260, which is the same as the Hanwei. Would I have to pay extra for grip and fittings or is the whole cost embedded into the blade length? At this point I'm looking for information. From what I can tell the morrow gladius is more of a custom job than the hanwei is.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 4, 2009 19:19:06 GMT
did you see the one that darksword armory makes its in the hanwei price range
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Post by Deleted on Oct 4, 2009 19:58:08 GMT
did you see the one that darksword armory makes its in the hanwei price range Darksword armory has some nice looking swords, and it looks like they mention the sword they are trying to replicate with each one they make. Does anyone know what their quality is like? Is one of the issues with Roman Empire era swords and accuracy simply a case of there isn't a lot to actually base them on other than pictures and carvings? While those are useful I think there is quite a bit of artistic license in them to accent different things.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 4, 2009 21:17:31 GMT
DSA's stuff tends to be heavy and impossible to sharpen.
M.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 5, 2009 0:17:03 GMT
I know our most popular is the Gen 2 Maintz. I know it is not totally historically accurate but, as far as strength and fit and finish I have not seen any to compare.
Unfortunately they are so popular we have a waiting list. The next batch is due to arrive in November.
I think Ric Willy did a review on it some time ago. You should check that out.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2009 23:37:48 GMT
i wish there was more choices i bet scorpion bows could make a really nice one
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SlayerofDarkness
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Post by SlayerofDarkness on Oct 7, 2009 0:04:42 GMT
Try Odinblades. John Lundemo just started offering a budget line, and you can get a very basic, but very functional Gladius in nearly any style you prefer for only $350ish. I really don't think that that deal can be beaten by anything available today. If that isn't to your liking for some reason, try Valiant Armoury's new Signature Line Gladius, the Actium. It should be shipping later this month if you preorder one. -Slayer
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2009 1:06:59 GMT
Try Odinblades. John Lundemo just started offering a budget line, and you can get a very basic, but very functional Gladius in nearly any style you prefer for only $350ish. I really don't think that that deal can be beaten by anything available today. If that isn't to your liking for some reason, try Valiant Armoury's new Signature Line Gladius, the Actium. It should be shipping later this month if you preorder one. -Slayer The Actium looks interesting. It looks like they got the weight right but have the blade 5" too long from what I've been able to find out for historical accuracy. Speaking of which, does anyone know how reliable Legio XX is for the historical dimensions? I might send Lundemo an email to see how much it would be for a mainz gladius. He has some good looking swords on his website, but no specs so it's hard to see how accurate they are to what these swords were really like. So I know I'm getting hung up on this, and especially getting a Mainz gladius. From what I can tell, the mainz gladius was the roman version of the hispaniensis, and it was the sword of the republic. The pompeii gladius was the sword of the empire, and the fulham gladius was somewhere in between. I think by the time of Vegetius they were using the spatha, but I think Vegetius' work De Re Militari was an attempt to recapture the glory of the legions - so the spatha seems to be the sword of the twilight of the empire. So I'm looking for the mainz style because it was the blade which, I think, made Rome into the power that it was. Hence the historical accuracy bent I have, as well. ;D I'm thinking it might be better for me to take a step back and do some more research - hit up some books and scour the forums more thoroughly to figure out exactly what I am looking for. I'll still email Odin Blades, though
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SlayerofDarkness
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Post by SlayerofDarkness on Oct 7, 2009 1:53:29 GMT
The thing about Odin is... He KNOWS what a sword should be. Rest assured that if you request historically acurate handling and stats, you'll get 'em. ;D Not only that, but John Lundemo is a pleasure to chat with as well. ;D Very fun guy. You know a LOT more about Gladii than I do, so I'll leave the analysis of historical accuracy to you, but what you said does sound logical. And no worries about getting 'hung up' on a particular point. When you want something just right, you want it JUST RIGHT, lol. We get it. The upside of an Odin is that not only is it high-quality, but it's a custom as well, so you can get the length, width etc exactly how you want. But that doesn't mean I'm not looking forward to the Actium. It'll be an awesome sword, no doubt. As for me, though, I say that you can't go wrong with an Odinblade. ;D Just my $.02, and I hope this helps! -Slayer
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2009 2:26:59 GMT
no doubt. I'm not really that sure of my timeline on these things, but I enjoy history. Some of what the ancient romans were capable of doing convinces me that, comparatively speaking, we are not much further advanced in things than they were back then. What they could do without our modern technology is simply amazing.
Yeah, I've been scouring the forums and the web reading up about this stuff, can't remember the last time I got this deep into something, OdinBlades has come up as a good place to get a gladius from in a couple of places.
So this is where my lack of experience really starts to come into play. The more research I do the more resigned I am getting to the fact that with what I want I will need to get a custom job done or get an Albion. Now I know what the Albion will cost, and without a scabbard, from what I understand. When we talk about custom jobs does that mean to expect more than Albion prices? I realize it all depends on the job, but for a rough expectation I think I should expect these to be the most expensive option?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2009 17:31:20 GMT
okay, so I think I've been thinking about custom swords the wrong way in terms of pricing and whatnot. I was thinking that they were essentially the same as an albion or atrim etc..., but they aren't, are they.
If I could make a comparison to art - the atrim, tinkers, albions are all "off the shelf" pieces - equivalent to prints. Som prints, like albions, are better than others, but they are still prints, in a manner of speaking.
When you get into custom swords it is more like commissioning a piece of art. So is it safe to say that, taken care of properly, a custom piece will generally appreciate in value over time while the "print" analogs won't, or don't appreciate as much?
Just an idle thought I had today at work....
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2009 17:37:34 GMT
If you can afford the Lundemo, you probably should get it; at the price offered, you'd be hard pressed to find another handmade sword the likes of what John puts out.
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SlayerofDarkness
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Post by SlayerofDarkness on Oct 7, 2009 18:13:34 GMT
Um... I don't really know. I do know that you can get a quite plain gladius from Lundemo for around $350, but if you want an ornate, carved guard and pommel, that price will quickly jump to Albion levels. The thing about a custom job is that YOU determine the looks, stats, etc, so in a way YOU can control the price. If what you originally ask for is too expensive, just take off some details; if what you originally ask for is plain, and the quoted price is less than you have to spend, than you can afford to make the sword a bit more elaborate and such. I'm not sure about customs 'appreciating', though. They might, but I haven't been around the 'sword scene' for long enough to know. Maybe one of the more experienced guys could chime in on that one. ;D -Slayer
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2009 18:46:54 GMT
did you see the maximus one he just made im looking into how much it costs its amazing
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SlayerofDarkness
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Post by SlayerofDarkness on Oct 7, 2009 19:30:24 GMT
Yeah, that Maximus is beautiful, all right. www.odinblades.com/Pages/Latest%20Works.htmlI would assume that that sword costs well into the 1xxx range, due to the folded steel. That steel costs a fortune! In a monosteel version it would be MUCH more affordable, though. ;D -Slayer
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