Longship Armoury Jian by John Lundemo
Jan 11, 2012 15:25:07 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2012 15:25:07 GMT
Longship Armoury Jian by John Lundemo
OAL: 92.2cm (36.3in)
Total Weight: 1.017Kg (2.24lbs)
CoG: 10.5cm (4.125in)
CoP: 45.7cm (18in)
Blade
Steel: 5160H marquenched
Length: 74.9cm (29.5in)
Width (base): 37mm (1.46in)
Width (mid-length): 31mm (1.22in)
Width (10cm from tip): 28mm (1.10in)
Thickness (base): 6mm (0.24in)
Thickness (mid-length): 4mm (0.16in)
Thickness (10cm from tip): 3mm (0.12in)
Hilt
Total length: 18.3cm (7.19in)
Guard: 3.3cm (1.31in) H X 11.4cm (4.5in) W, patinated bronze
Grip: 10.3cm (4.06in) H X 31mm (1.22in) W, dyed rayskin over wood
Pommel: 4.4cm (1.75in) H X 4.4cm (1.75in) W, patinated bronze, peened assembly
Edit: A few folks PM'd me about the photos (or lack thereof), and some wanted to see what the hilt furniture looks like without the dark patination. So, after borrowing a camera, I figured there was only one way to reveal the bronze underneath the bronze. Oy...
Commentary
The blade has the familiar flat diamond cross-section, with mild profile taper and tight distal taper. It is well-tempered, resilient in its ability to absorb shock, but otherwise rigid in demeanor. The tip profile is pointier than usual for jian from China's dynastic era, but not uncommon compared to jian from the Republican era. The edge is very sharp. The blade surface has been polished to a satin finish.
The guard, made of patinated bronze, is a contemporary style with beautiful surface relief art.
The grip has an oval profile, as well as an oval cross-section, and feels comfortable in hand. The dyed rayskin wrap has rich texture and color, with a smooth finish.
The pommel is made of patinated bronze and, like the guard, also has beautiful surface relief art.
There are challenges that come with making ethnographic weapons such as the jian. Many centuries of history have produced interesting examples, often in magnificent detail. Some details are too complex, expensive and/or time-consuming to reproduce. For practical reasons, it makes more sense to strive for fundamental benchmarks such as weight, balance and blade profile.
For the Longship jian, the only issue I would point out is in the assembly of the pommel, whose alignment is tilted slightly short of horizontal. Picture the hands of a clock. The blade and guard are aligned on the horizontal axis, with the hour hand at 9:00 and the minute hand at 3:00. The pommel is shifted counter-clockwise, with the hour hand at 8:00 and the minute hand at 2:00. This is a minor flaw, but it is noticeable, especially when your hand is on the grip and the pommel is resting near the base of your palm. Aside from that, I think this sword reflects very fine craftsmanship and design.
And here, a note from James Fang regarding options for the Longship line:
Fittings:
* Mix and matching between pommel and guard parts (excluding Signature pieces like the Morrigan)
* Acid etching available on disc pommels (quote on request)
Grip:
* Wood core with leather wrap and choice of dye color
* Bare wood grip with dye (exotic woods may incur additional charge)
* Wood core with rayskin wrap (higher grades of samegawa may incur additional charge)
* Bronze spacer ring in center of grip (available for Steerboard and Morrigan for an additional charge)
Blades:
* Certain lengths may be requested (very long blades may incur additional charge)
* Blade shape may be requested, ie. shinogi-zukuri for the Verrimus or a type XVIII on the Steerboard
* Differential hardening (will incur additional charge and waiting time)
* Acid etching (quote on request)
Options are subject to review and quotes before production.
www.longshiparmoury.com
OAL: 92.2cm (36.3in)
Total Weight: 1.017Kg (2.24lbs)
CoG: 10.5cm (4.125in)
CoP: 45.7cm (18in)
Blade
Steel: 5160H marquenched
Length: 74.9cm (29.5in)
Width (base): 37mm (1.46in)
Width (mid-length): 31mm (1.22in)
Width (10cm from tip): 28mm (1.10in)
Thickness (base): 6mm (0.24in)
Thickness (mid-length): 4mm (0.16in)
Thickness (10cm from tip): 3mm (0.12in)
Hilt
Total length: 18.3cm (7.19in)
Guard: 3.3cm (1.31in) H X 11.4cm (4.5in) W, patinated bronze
Grip: 10.3cm (4.06in) H X 31mm (1.22in) W, dyed rayskin over wood
Pommel: 4.4cm (1.75in) H X 4.4cm (1.75in) W, patinated bronze, peened assembly
Edit: A few folks PM'd me about the photos (or lack thereof), and some wanted to see what the hilt furniture looks like without the dark patination. So, after borrowing a camera, I figured there was only one way to reveal the bronze underneath the bronze. Oy...
Commentary
The blade has the familiar flat diamond cross-section, with mild profile taper and tight distal taper. It is well-tempered, resilient in its ability to absorb shock, but otherwise rigid in demeanor. The tip profile is pointier than usual for jian from China's dynastic era, but not uncommon compared to jian from the Republican era. The edge is very sharp. The blade surface has been polished to a satin finish.
The guard, made of patinated bronze, is a contemporary style with beautiful surface relief art.
The grip has an oval profile, as well as an oval cross-section, and feels comfortable in hand. The dyed rayskin wrap has rich texture and color, with a smooth finish.
The pommel is made of patinated bronze and, like the guard, also has beautiful surface relief art.
There are challenges that come with making ethnographic weapons such as the jian. Many centuries of history have produced interesting examples, often in magnificent detail. Some details are too complex, expensive and/or time-consuming to reproduce. For practical reasons, it makes more sense to strive for fundamental benchmarks such as weight, balance and blade profile.
For the Longship jian, the only issue I would point out is in the assembly of the pommel, whose alignment is tilted slightly short of horizontal. Picture the hands of a clock. The blade and guard are aligned on the horizontal axis, with the hour hand at 9:00 and the minute hand at 3:00. The pommel is shifted counter-clockwise, with the hour hand at 8:00 and the minute hand at 2:00. This is a minor flaw, but it is noticeable, especially when your hand is on the grip and the pommel is resting near the base of your palm. Aside from that, I think this sword reflects very fine craftsmanship and design.
And here, a note from James Fang regarding options for the Longship line:
Fittings:
* Mix and matching between pommel and guard parts (excluding Signature pieces like the Morrigan)
* Acid etching available on disc pommels (quote on request)
Grip:
* Wood core with leather wrap and choice of dye color
* Bare wood grip with dye (exotic woods may incur additional charge)
* Wood core with rayskin wrap (higher grades of samegawa may incur additional charge)
* Bronze spacer ring in center of grip (available for Steerboard and Morrigan for an additional charge)
Blades:
* Certain lengths may be requested (very long blades may incur additional charge)
* Blade shape may be requested, ie. shinogi-zukuri for the Verrimus or a type XVIII on the Steerboard
* Differential hardening (will incur additional charge and waiting time)
* Acid etching (quote on request)
Options are subject to review and quotes before production.
www.longshiparmoury.com