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Post by MOK on May 30, 2011 23:46:21 GMT
Yeah, I like Méäré, too, although I'd make the cross wider. A good rule of thumb, generally speaking, is that the cross should be roughly as wide as the hilt is long. And with the overall size, I think you could easily get away with a shorter hilt - as it is, you have space enough for three hands on a hand-and-a-half sword. Making the hilt an inch (or even two) shorter and the blade correspondingly longer shouldn't hurt any, especially with that pommel shape. Ifearnán is really nice, too! I'm a fan of those sharply recurved guards.
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Post by Vincent Dolan on May 31, 2011 0:53:55 GMT
Thanks for the input, MOK. I was mainly trying to get the grip to be more proportional than it was; perhaps it looks a touch too long, but I was trying my best to model it after the ATrim XVIa.3 from Tried & True Armoury. It's the exact shape and size I had in mind for Mé'aré after I strayed away from using Brenno's blade shape for it, so I dunno if I could make it any shorter, to tell the truth.
As for Ifearnán, it's funny, but I hate s-curved guards that you usually see on Style 12s; they're too shallow for some reason. But make it sharply recurved the way it is and I really like it. I also thought the weird, pointed pommel wouldn't work, so it needed a change, but I wanted something unique and voila! True fishtail with a Bristol shaped grip.
I wish I had a better hand with a pencil, because Ælfwing came out looking a little weird. I've been trying to make it a merging of an Irish ring-hilt XIX with a Chinese Han jian (I may end up changing the guard to suit that desire), particularly the Hanwei model with the gorgeous rosewood octagonal grip, but I haven't a bleedin' clue how to get that onto paper. I'm also trying to make the scabbard a nice mix of Viking and Chinese.
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Post by MOK on May 31, 2011 10:36:02 GMT
By all means, if you're happy with the proportions, keep them. The extra inch or two of leverage might actually come in handy in binds, and also if the blade is beefier than one would assume from a profile view. I think I'd make Ælfwing's collar more substantial. With that blade shape it looks perhaps a bit undersized, and being just a little wider would make the grip more secure. Making the base of it somewhat thicker than the arms would also make it look a bit more refined. PS. I had some idle time on my hands, so...
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Post by Vincent Dolan on May 31, 2011 19:10:52 GMT
I'm speechless, MOK. Ælfwing looks amazing. Now we just have to see if I can manage to make it look good with a Han Jian guard so I can go through the laborious process of trying to decide which looks better.
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Post by Vincent Dolan on Jun 1, 2011 0:31:06 GMT
A quick update: After trying repeatedly, I have found that I suck at drawing proportions and repeatedly failed to sketch up Aelfwing with a Han jian's guard, so, I took the sketch done by Peter Johnsson of Albion of the Kern and added a very simple Han style guard in MS Paint (since that's the limit of my skills as well as all I have at the moment). It's a bastardization of a mock-up, but I think it gets the point across: Comments and suggestions of how I can perhaps make it look a little nicer would be appreciated.
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Post by MOK on Jun 1, 2011 8:09:37 GMT
Hey, I think it looks pretty good!
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Post by Vincent Dolan on Jun 1, 2011 13:34:06 GMT
Thanks, MOK. This is the guard I was trying to draw it with and with this style of scabbard, as well as putting celtic knots on the furniture to really drive home the mix of Irish and Chinese swords. MS Paint gets the point across, but that's about it.
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Post by MOK on Jun 2, 2011 22:23:54 GMT
After quickly modding the first sketch (man, I love vector graphics)...
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Post by Vincent Dolan on Jun 2, 2011 23:30:45 GMT
Damn, man. That thing looks badass. I hadn't thought of adding a collar to it like that; it's like you took both ideas and melded them perfectly.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2011 12:24:41 GMT
you effectively got my two favorite parts of my two favorite swords and blended them together in something awesome. if i'd know how to give karma i would consider it, but i honestly don't know how it works :oops: if i were you i would try to give it the double-sided hamon of the jin shi reviewed on the main site.
ps, mok i'd really like to have the drawing programm you use( and probably some of your patience as well)
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Post by MOK on Jun 4, 2011 15:01:34 GMT
That collar seems to be a fairly standard feature on this type of jian, and the visual effect is kinda similar to the short ricasso on most type XIX blades, so it seemed like a good idea. Glad you like it. It's that big green plus sign under my karma rating, to the right of this post. That's definitely a thought. It might get a little busy, though, what with the bevels and the fuller and the incised lines. I use Inkscape. It's freeware and kinda cool. Its one major flaw is that if you're used to Adobe Illustrator, you'll have a devil of a time getting used to it because everything is so comfortingly similar yet so frustratingly different. There's a bunch of good basic tutorials within the program itself, under the Help menu, and many more on the site. I've been thinking of making a tutorial on how I draw these designs, myself, since there seems to be a non-zero number of interested people...
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Post by Vincent Dolan on Jun 4, 2011 19:57:31 GMT
Most definitely. ARGH. Just when I'd decided that the only ones that were important to have made were Ithin and Mé'aré.
I agree. It would definitely look interesting, but it would be a delicate balance, I think, with the incisions of the fuller and such.
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Post by Vincent Dolan on Jun 7, 2011 13:20:09 GMT
My redesigns of Christopher Paolini's Zar'roc & Brisingr from the Inheritance Cycle. I also bring a new design partially inspired by a Chinese weapon, the Omega Blade/Halberd: For any wondering, the weapon that inspired it was the Monk Spade, with its broad, spade shaped head. A really interesting weapon, except, I can only imagine how difficult it would be to cut with something like that where only the front is sharpened. Then I remembered the shape that it was supposed to have been derived from: a common shovel. So, I combined the two and got this, a broad halberd/spear capable of great hacking and cleaving blows as well as nasty thrusts from odd angles thanks to the two side points and the bottom flares. But, because the blade is so broad, it wouldn't do much to penetrate armor, so I added a short, second spearhead to the butt in place of a butt-cap. It still balances out the halberd blade, but adds a nasty little armor piercing blade for quick thrusts, as well.
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Post by Vincent Dolan on Jun 28, 2011 12:10:41 GMT
A new design I've been meaning to do & upload for some time, but just recently got around to it. This sword comes from my 3rd novel (in the works) tentatively titled "Children of Conquest". The Endycions are a race based culturally and historically on a combination of the Romans and the British; they favor straight hand-and-a-half swords with two edges to optimize usage with a shield but to give them a little something extra if they don't have the option of a shield. The Execution Sword is their only example of a single edged sword. It is normally a hand-and-a-half weapon with a relatively short blade, but is also comparatively blade heavy due to its broad blade that widens near the tip. It also has something of a triangular cross-section similar to a very thin axe blade. Double fullers keep the weight manageable while the hand-and-a-half grip provides leverage. They feature no cross-pieces. This particular piece was used in the Xe'jing Mines, located on the Zhaen Peninsula in the Eastern Harmony of Sintai, the largest single nation in the world; the more remote portions of the Eastern and Southern Harmonies have been carved away by the Endycions, however. The Xe'jing Mines are one of these conquests and are used as a forced labor camp for prisoners. Former Captain and Warden Harvey Sykes was in charge of this mine until a rebellious prisoner made a dash for freedom after his mentor was executed with this very sword. After killing the executioner and stealing the blade, he ran to the very top of the fortress that guards the entrance, Sykes on his tail the whole way. In a last ditch effort to halt pursuit, the prisoner lashed out blindly with the sword destroying Harvey's left eye socket. Dropping the sword, the prisoner leapt from the fortress wall into the ravine below, miraculously surviving, but wounded. Discharged, Harvey took this sword, cut its tang down, stuck a heavy pommel and guard on it, and now carries it as he follows the former prisoner's trail the world over.
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Post by Cole Chang on Jul 14, 2011 10:06:06 GMT
Hey Vincent, I really like Ithin. Would you consider a longer handle? Just thinking that a katana blade on jian furniture might be a bit blade heavy.
Also, I really dig the chain spear! Have you ever read the Battle Angel Alita manga? Throughout the series, she acquired a few unique weapons. When she was racing, she got two short curved swords attached to her forearms, which eventually got combined into one larger sword that could swing out as she fought/raced. Towards the end, she got a sword that was like a giant butterfly (balisong) knife. It unfolded about and she was able to use it like a short halberd. I'll see if I can find some pictures. Someone made a cheap replica of it once...
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Post by Vincent Dolan on Jul 14, 2011 10:44:03 GMT
Actually, I've reworked Ithin some since I posted the original, but since I'm having another member redesign it slightly, I haven't updated. It's current measurements are going to be 35" overall with a 27" blade; my proportions are just way off. I was never meant to be an artist, after all. My talent lies with words. Anyways, I've been considering dropping the blade down to 25" rather than lengthening the hilt since this is supposed to be something of a fantasy styled cutlass, but for the time being, 27" is the shortest I feel comfortable going. Mainly for story balance; his opponents (soldiers, mostly) use longer swords, though that is very easily rectified and I'm already considering it since most of the story takes place in urban environments where longswords wouldn't be advantageous. By the way, sorry if this little mini-rant is annoying. Talking (or typing) these things out helps me process and memorize them. However, with the longsword/town sword debate in mind, I may have to design a companion sword to Mé'aré.
Ah! The chain spear! That idea actually came to me, oh, I don't know how many years ago back when my novel was still in the drafting stages and I had no idea how to handle it. It was meant for a female character that my protagonist saves (who turns out to be the daughter of an acquaintance of his that was kidnapped at a young age and sold into slavery; the acquaintance happened to be the reigning queen of the neighboring country. This was back when my character was still a banished prince of sorts before I got my head on straight and got rid of that trope). She would use it both as a double headed spear and as a kusarigama, using the chain to block attacks and bind weapons. There was also this idea where she could throw it rather accurately, but since I like to work in relative realism, I abandoned the idea after trying to work out the logistics of the weapon.
The Axe-Sword, by the way, became Harvey's Sword a few posts up. As for Battle Angel Alita, I've never read it, but I know about the giant balisong 'cause I've seen the replicas. Despite how very fantasy it is, it always appealed to me for some reason. Maybe because I have a bit of a thing for short spears.
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Post by Cole Chang on Jul 14, 2011 15:12:21 GMT
What is this story you keep refering to? Is it published yet, or is it an online story. Reason I ask is because I would love to read it. I've posted a couple of my works on line, but haven't done so in a long time. I actually feel really bad cause the first story I ever started working on is still unfinished, and I've had a couple of requests to finish it. Anyway, I thought I would post a pic of Alita's balisong sword as a shot in the dark. Maybe someone somewhere would like to try to make a functional, lighter version of it. At 10 lbs, this thing is strictly wall hanger material, and I don't mean dry wall! Attachments:
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2011 19:15:29 GMT
bks once made a (functional?) of that huge butterfly knive. i like it, but maybe i'm just atracted to crazy weapons(18/19 century india) :lol:
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2011 19:25:08 GMT
i really respect you for writing a story, i once tried myself but my laptop chrashed when i was at like 25 pages ad i never succeeded to pick up writing again. still it remains a far dream, and i've promised myself that when i get 15 i will start anew.
ps: to johnE, if it doesn't work to write a real novel try making an atlas especially when you like world building that much.
pps: i know that this is a comment made to long dead comments but i don't care
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Post by Vincent Dolan on Jul 14, 2011 22:21:20 GMT
cole: It's not published yet, nor is it actually finished yet, unfortunately. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so I'm constantly revising things. Plus, since I started writing when I was 13 (I'm now 21), it was filled with a bunch of cliches, so I completely revised almost the whole plot; I kept the core, but changed nearly all the characters as well as shrinking a trilogy down to a duet. Mé'aré and Ithin are the swords of my antagonist and protagonist, respectively, as well as brother swords, having been forged by the same smith. However, if you go to my profile here and click on the DA link there, you'll be able to read a few of my works. They're all unfinished, but two of them are part of larger novels I'm planning after my duet while two are scrapped projects, though I've had indications that people would like to see them finished.
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