Made a falchion out of a Windlass Scottish Cutlass (WIP)

This past Thursday, I had my first class in Lecküchner messer techniques. Really enjoyed it!



And, as always, my first thought after learning a new sword system is "I need to try this on a tatami mat!"  

I initially started looking around for a sharp messer or falchion to buy, but then remembered that I had a Windlass Scottish Cutlass that I picked up a while ago when it was the DOTD at MRL ($125 shipped).



This cutlass weighs 3 lbs 4 oz, and the POB is inside of 2 inches from the guard. It occurred to me that I might be able to turn this heavy sword into a light and effective cutter if I removed the basket, as I did a while ago with my Windlass Munich.



I used my Dremel tool with a cutoff wheel to remove the basket. Without the basket, the sword now weighs just under 2 lbs 11 oz, and the POB is at 4.5 inches. Perfect!



Now all that remains is to grind the welded metal off of the guard and sharpen the blade.



I'll sharpen the 9 inch false edge as well, so I can practice the short edge attacks from Lecküchner's system.



Here is the guard after about an hour of grinding and polishing: