Unashamed sword newb
Sept 12, 2012 19:27:11 GMT
Post by PaxAddict on Sept 12, 2012 19:27:11 GMT
Alright, so I've been in the renaissance world for the better part of my life. Spent most of my summers at the MN Renfest, then went and did something stupid like joined the army. I love to costume, and always have, and have picked up a couple swords over the years (playing a pirate at fest, I picked up a WWI Japanese saber that resembled a cutlass pretty well, and picked up a wakizashi from handmadesword.com after some brief and relatively extensive research in the matter. I like my costumes to be relatively accurate, and was doing a pirate who had made it 'round to the east, and picked up a japanese equivilent to his cutlass) but now am looking to move beyond costuming into actual sword fighting, and have looked into exactly what sort of sword fighting I'd like to do (not olympic fencing or anything) and decided on Renaissance era weaponry, going with 17th and 18th century. Smallswords! I love the look, I love the size, the very idea. Rapiers always seemed too much for me, not size wise, exactly, just... Too.. Grandiose. I like the idea of a simple smallsword.
So, the plan here (and here's where you see my ulterior motives) is to learn a bit about swordplay over the next few years, and then when my daughter turns 5 (four and a half years from now) begin teaching her. So I'm already sword shopping! Obviously, we'll get unassuming training blades, but I'd love to be able to hand her a masterpiece on her 16th birthday, something I commissioned when she turned One.
Now, the hardest part about this masterpiece, is that I want one of the more obscure smallsword blade typed. As opposed to the transitional diamond style blade, or the more standard triangle smallsword blade, I'm looking at stuff they've seen evidence of but never really took off. Namely, the rhombus shaped blade. I'm also interested in a trapezoid blade, but only because it's significantly more reasonable to expect a modern swordsmith to make. Both allow a hollow ground out, reducing the weight, but still providing room for an edge on each side, for say the last 1/3rd of the blade edge, which would mimic a more transitional piece, as the standard became a lighter thrust specific sword.
For those not tracking what I'm talking about, I've provided illustrations! Please forgive, as I just did these up for an email to BKS, as I'm trying to explain the same thing to them.
I guess, aside from introducing myself here, I'm asking how reasonable it is for a custom blade like this? I know it'll jack up any costs for a custom piece, but by how much? Is it something I should abandon? Or is this something a sword maker would look forward to? A piece to push their expertise, keep them on their toes. I do chainmaille and I know I look forward to people asking me to do things I've never considered before, and generally (if it's not a large piece) I'm happy to go into something like that pro bono. If it's something that expands my personal knowledge and expertise, I always find it rewarding enough that I don't exactly expect compensation. But maybe I'm crazy like that, and there's a reason my jewelery isn't going anywhere.
Thanks for your time, folks.
SPC Michael Spaulding
Photobucket is giving me issues, just going to upload the attachment the old school way.
So, the plan here (and here's where you see my ulterior motives) is to learn a bit about swordplay over the next few years, and then when my daughter turns 5 (four and a half years from now) begin teaching her. So I'm already sword shopping! Obviously, we'll get unassuming training blades, but I'd love to be able to hand her a masterpiece on her 16th birthday, something I commissioned when she turned One.
Now, the hardest part about this masterpiece, is that I want one of the more obscure smallsword blade typed. As opposed to the transitional diamond style blade, or the more standard triangle smallsword blade, I'm looking at stuff they've seen evidence of but never really took off. Namely, the rhombus shaped blade. I'm also interested in a trapezoid blade, but only because it's significantly more reasonable to expect a modern swordsmith to make. Both allow a hollow ground out, reducing the weight, but still providing room for an edge on each side, for say the last 1/3rd of the blade edge, which would mimic a more transitional piece, as the standard became a lighter thrust specific sword.
For those not tracking what I'm talking about, I've provided illustrations! Please forgive, as I just did these up for an email to BKS, as I'm trying to explain the same thing to them.
I guess, aside from introducing myself here, I'm asking how reasonable it is for a custom blade like this? I know it'll jack up any costs for a custom piece, but by how much? Is it something I should abandon? Or is this something a sword maker would look forward to? A piece to push their expertise, keep them on their toes. I do chainmaille and I know I look forward to people asking me to do things I've never considered before, and generally (if it's not a large piece) I'm happy to go into something like that pro bono. If it's something that expands my personal knowledge and expertise, I always find it rewarding enough that I don't exactly expect compensation. But maybe I'm crazy like that, and there's a reason my jewelery isn't going anywhere.
Thanks for your time, folks.
SPC Michael Spaulding
Photobucket is giving me issues, just going to upload the attachment the old school way.