Post by Razor on Dec 29, 2014 18:34:25 GMT
Nielo Proto-Mortuary
By Ray Harrington
Full Disclosure
I got this sword second hand from Vay, a forum member here at my last SBG cutting party. Vay, also got this sword used from another forum.
Historical Overview
The mortuary is a 19th century collector's term, as a means of identification a basket hilt that was manufactured and used in the middle two-thirds of the 17th century. because of it's simplicity and economy of construction, it saw a lot of use and is mostly associated with the English Civil War of the 1642 to 1652.
There is two significant groups of mortuary hilts. The boat- shaped bowl guards and the shell-shaped guards. Which this scallop shell guard falls under. And has only recently been named "Proto-Mortuary", has it is thought to be the forerunner of the Mortuary sword.
Statistics
Blade length: 33 3/4"
Handle length: 4"
Overall length: 39 1/8"
Basket width: 4 3/4"
Basket length: 4 1/2"
Weight: 2lb 9 5/8oz
POB: 5 1/4"
COP 22"
Distal taper: basket 5.72mm POB 4.60MM COP 3.36MM Inch from tip 2.64mm
Width of blade: basket 1 9/16 Inch from tip 13/16"
Blade
The Proto-Mortuary has a backsword blade with two fullers. The blade loos to be forge because you can see some hammer marks if you look hard enough. It's is easier to see the hammer marks on the fullers and it gives the fullers wavy lines. I like the geometry of the edge but it isn't sharp enough to slice through flesh.
Grip
The grip is black rayskin and is overlaid with spiraled wire and the top and bottom of the grip has wire knotwork. I don't know if the sword came like this of if it happened before Vay, got it, but the handle is loose. the handle rocks back and forth but it doesn't twist, almost like the handle wasn't shaped to fit the tang properly.
Basket
The scallop shell basket is the Type VBi from the book "British Basket-Hilted Swords".
Pommel
The pommel is peened and looks like a flat bun with trumpet-shaped lower third and a tang button on top.
I haven't seen a mort with a flat bum pommel. Mort pommels with a trumpet-shaped at the bottom usually have a doomed, pear, or conical tops.
Handling
This being a cut & thrust cavalry sword and with the POB at 5 1/2", this sword is designed to strike hard but still be able to give point. The Proto-Mort isn't as nimble as Hanwei's Cromwell, but it not a wrist breaker either. In my cutting video you can see I have no problems cutting or thrusting with it.
Cutting
The sword wasn't sharp enough to cut my flesh when I was drawing the blade back an forth across my arm. So I only used milk jugs in the video. I probably could cut mats with it, if I put a lot of strength and over swing in my cut. But I didn't want to waste mats on buffalo cuts.
Conclusions
The biggest problem I have with this sword, is the asking price. I really don't see it especially without a scabbard. But all in all Nielo, did a good job for a reproduction proto- mort sword. It's to bad that my grip is loose(something I have to fix). I would also like the top of the pommel to be more conical shaped like the mortuary Type VI pommel. Even though the edge is dull the edge still as a great geometry and can easily follow the geometry when sharping it.