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Post by Kilted Cossack on Feb 14, 2010 18:13:04 GMT
Guys:
Given the H/T bare blades available at KOA, I keep thinking, "Man, I need to get one and build a sword!"
Natural enough, right?
Of course, the bits can be problematic. Pommels, guards, that kind of stuff.
So what about building a Migration Era sword on a H/T EMSHS blade? I'm pretty sure Migratory Era swords are, in part at least, distinguished by organic hilts, and partially organic guards and pommels.
The only hickey I can see is that it might mess up the harmonic balance, since the organic guard and pommel would be lighter than a full-0n steel jobby.
Wacky idea, or doable? Or wacky, but doable?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2010 18:27:07 GMT
I do think it's doable, just keep in mind that you'll have a sword with a far PoB, I mean, REALLY far, 7"- 8" wouldn't surprise me. But, swords like that existed so why not? The whole thing would be really light so handling should be alright. What kind of migration era handle do you want to build? Most had a piece of wood sandwiched between metal as guard and pommel, the pommel often decorated with rings or other stuff. Grip was either wood covered with leather or wood with metal plates. There are lots of possibilities, really. DelTin makes some nice hilts on its migration era blades, take a look at that for ideas.
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Post by Kilted Cossack on Feb 14, 2010 18:58:11 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2010 19:55:15 GMT
Yeah, I think those blades would be great for project swords. For a time I was wanting to get the H/T Viking blade and hilt it as a Byzantine style spatha. A lot of people don't seem to like that the H/T viking blade is somewhat pointier than a typical viking blade, although interestingly it looks very typical of the medieval-era spathas that the Byzantines used.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2010 18:45:59 GMT
I wouldn't worry about the COB or blade harmonics... I'm thinking that metallurgy at that point wasn't advanced enough to need to deal with that sort of thing. I'm no scholar, but if I lived in 450 AD, my primary concern would be if it were sharp and solid, not necessarily that I could cut with it using only my wrist. You know, whether it's a good idea or not, I think you should give it a try Especially considering how inexpensive the blades are. I plan on doing something similar. Late iron age, early migration period with Frankish/Carolingnian/Southern Alba influences. I'm trying some pilot projects with a Windlass Qama and kukhri. Great little iron age starters.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2010 2:41:12 GMT
Kiltedcossak Go for it. Try and use hard wood, it'll be heavier. Sandwiching the wood between brass (or better yet bronze) plates would help with the balance. You can do the lower and upper guard out of wood and the pommel out of brass, or steel, or semiprecious stone. Time to google for pics from the Northern European museums.
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Post by brotherbanzai on Feb 21, 2010 21:05:26 GMT
Sounds like a reasonable plan. Brass or bronze will be easier to work with than steel but will be quite a lot more expensive for a thick piece.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2010 21:13:04 GMT
I wouldn't worry about the COB or blade harmonics... I'm thinking that metallurgy at that point wasn't advanced enough to need to deal with that sort of thing. I'm no scholar, but if I lived in 450 AD, my primary concern would be if it were sharp and solid, not necessarily that I could cut with it using only my wrist. Dead wrong. The original spathas and saxes we know of prove an incredibly high level of craftmanship. The best blades at that time were at least of the same quality as the famous katana hundreds years later, considering the better iron ore they were probably even better. These guys knew what they were doing, much better than we do now. The pattern welding at that time was of a quality that was never reached again in the centuries to follow. Nor the the famous medieval smiths in Solingen nor we today could reproduce the works of the great masters at that time.
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