Windlass - Suontaka Viking Petersen Type AE Sword
Aug 14, 2015 5:32:23 GMT
Post by Brendan Olszowy on Aug 14, 2015 5:32:23 GMT
Hi Dave
Congrats on the new purchase. The tricky thing with the Suontaka is that there no modern replicas which are even within a mile of the original. The biggest thing being that the original is made with hollow bronze parts, with only very thin walls.
Check out these close up photos of the original: www.sword-site.com/thread/555/sword-womans-grave-suontaka-finland
So it would have likely been very light actually. Maybe 900g to 1kg? (2-2.2lb?)
Can I ask which are the 8 Type AE's you mention?
I've just done a replica of the Type AE at Copenhagen, with painstaking attention to detail, though solid data was not forthcoming. It weighs in at 1.0kg (2.2lb) with solid steel hilt furniture and a timber grip. see sbg-sword-forum.forums.net/thread/45433/foahamr-petersen-replica-danish-national
Also I made a note about these hilts. You might want to have a look at that too. I believe the grip on the original would have been 77-83mm ballpark. Which for this type is ample, and greatly improves the handling and recovery.
The Windlass blade looks pretty Ahistorical - it's got that thick diamond section tip, and a lack of distal taper, evidenced by the parallel sides of the fuller. Where that diamond tip is should only be 2mm thick. I bet it's at least 4.
For sure the corrosion of the tip really makes it hard to identify type, especially when the rest of the blade doesn't look quite that bad (though still pretty messed up).
Congrats on the new purchase. The tricky thing with the Suontaka is that there no modern replicas which are even within a mile of the original. The biggest thing being that the original is made with hollow bronze parts, with only very thin walls.
Check out these close up photos of the original: www.sword-site.com/thread/555/sword-womans-grave-suontaka-finland
So it would have likely been very light actually. Maybe 900g to 1kg? (2-2.2lb?)
Can I ask which are the 8 Type AE's you mention?
I've just done a replica of the Type AE at Copenhagen, with painstaking attention to detail, though solid data was not forthcoming. It weighs in at 1.0kg (2.2lb) with solid steel hilt furniture and a timber grip. see sbg-sword-forum.forums.net/thread/45433/foahamr-petersen-replica-danish-national
Also I made a note about these hilts. You might want to have a look at that too. I believe the grip on the original would have been 77-83mm ballpark. Which for this type is ample, and greatly improves the handling and recovery.
The Windlass blade looks pretty Ahistorical - it's got that thick diamond section tip, and a lack of distal taper, evidenced by the parallel sides of the fuller. Where that diamond tip is should only be 2mm thick. I bet it's at least 4.
For sure the corrosion of the tip really makes it hard to identify type, especially when the rest of the blade doesn't look quite that bad (though still pretty messed up).
