John Lundemo two--handed Morrigan variant "Fenrisulfr"
Aug 8, 2016 8:45:56 GMT
Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2016 8:45:56 GMT
Intro:
Well folks i think it was just about time to post a review about this heart of my collection...the "Fenrisulfr"!
I bought this beast from our Bill Swiger, and a dream came true...because ordering a Lundemo blade from Germany will almost double the cost until it arrives! Needless to say Bill made also a very generous offer...he is one of the coolest guys i had the pleasure to meet in my life.
And now for some "length comparison"...right, Wes? xD
Historical overview:
I think we have here also an attempt to create the "fantasy viking twohander"...a thing that maybe hasnt existed (well no evidence was found...yet) but still its VERY cool! I am not to good in sword typology so comment welcome on blade style etc.
Full Disclosure:
I bought this sword "second hand" (but in pristine condition!) from Mr. William Swiger, so no disclosure should be necessary. But of course i am not in any way connected to Mr. Lundemo or Longship Armoury.
Initial Impressions:
Well i handled this sword first time at Bills place, in the infamous SWORD ROOM...and i was impressed how good it handled despite its mighty size. Mr. Lundemo is IMHO the best custom maker around...form and function! This a devastating cutter and a blade to be rested on your knees while watching stuff like "13th Warrior" or "Conan"... ;-)
Statistics:
Well folks i think it was just about time to post a review about this heart of my collection...the "Fenrisulfr"!
I bought this beast from our Bill Swiger, and a dream came true...because ordering a Lundemo blade from Germany will almost double the cost until it arrives! Needless to say Bill made also a very generous offer...he is one of the coolest guys i had the pleasure to meet in my life.
And now for some "length comparison"...right, Wes? xD
Historical overview:
I think we have here also an attempt to create the "fantasy viking twohander"...a thing that maybe hasnt existed (well no evidence was found...yet) but still its VERY cool! I am not to good in sword typology so comment welcome on blade style etc.
Full Disclosure:
I bought this sword "second hand" (but in pristine condition!) from Mr. William Swiger, so no disclosure should be necessary. But of course i am not in any way connected to Mr. Lundemo or Longship Armoury.
Initial Impressions:
Well i handled this sword first time at Bills place, in the infamous SWORD ROOM...and i was impressed how good it handled despite its mighty size. Mr. Lundemo is IMHO the best custom maker around...form and function! This a devastating cutter and a blade to be rested on your knees while watching stuff like "13th Warrior" or "Conan"... ;-)
Statistics:
Overall length: 122 cm / 48"
Blade length: 93 cm / 36,6"
Width at guard: 6 cm / 2,26"
Weight: 1,9 kg / 4,18 lbs
POB: 17 cm / 6,7" from the guard
COP: around 67 cm / 26,4" from the guard
The blade:
Sorry folks, no funny instrument to measure distal taper...there is some, but not too much. The blade sags a tiny bit under its weight, but its barely noticeable. Its quite stiff regarding its size, and my GSOW wiggles a lot more!
The edges have zero secbevs and are smooth appleseed...and very sharp. The spatulate tip is the one of the minor things i found for nitpicking; i would have chosen a more pointy design. The blade is made of 5160 through hardened spring steel, and, as far as i know, quite high in hardness...should be around 58 HRC!
Everything is superstraight and flawlessly executed - blade shape, fuller...great work!
The guard & pommel:
The guard and the pommel show the usual Morrigan design: some antler-like crossguard with wolf heads in the center, noses down to the fuller (or up?) while the pommel is styled like some kind of wolfs paw. Both parts are made of solid bronze, lost-wax-method as far as i know. And here is the second nitpicking: the wolf head on one side is a little smaller and shorter than on the other side...looks a little bit off, asymmetrical. If they were upper jaw/lower jaw, fine...but i believe they were designed to be of same size. No big deal though. Maybe i will rework the smaller head to look like the lower half, removing ear-, eye- and nose details carefully...we will see. Anyway, casting is great and the peen is hidden very well.
The grip:
The grip is also very well made, nicely shaped, with a very good wrapping job and nearly no seam visible. A bronze spacer would have been a nice addition, but hey...
Test cutting:
So far i can only testify that its a serious pool noodle killer...i have some problems with tatami, but i think its more my fault than the swords.
Conclusion:
As i said earlier - the heart of my collection. I was SO happy when Bill offered me to get this baby from him...never saw a chance to get a Lundemo blade here in Germany. I would recommend John Lundemo/Longship Armoury to every collector who is looking for something special in tremendous quality for a high but reasonable price.
Pros: - flawless, big blade
- excellent fuller
- excellent sharp edges
- excellent grip job
- very nice high quality bronze fittings
- good peen job, doesnt hit the eye
- good handling for its size and weight
Cons: - minimal sagging of the blade
- bronze guard casting is a little asymmetric
- quite high price; but please ask Bill what he paid for it, i dont know
- well it IS no light sword, surely too heavy for some
By the way, the last two pics show Bills tiny paw...not mine... xD
The blade:
Sorry folks, no funny instrument to measure distal taper...there is some, but not too much. The blade sags a tiny bit under its weight, but its barely noticeable. Its quite stiff regarding its size, and my GSOW wiggles a lot more!
The edges have zero secbevs and are smooth appleseed...and very sharp. The spatulate tip is the one of the minor things i found for nitpicking; i would have chosen a more pointy design. The blade is made of 5160 through hardened spring steel, and, as far as i know, quite high in hardness...should be around 58 HRC!
Everything is superstraight and flawlessly executed - blade shape, fuller...great work!
The guard & pommel:
The guard and the pommel show the usual Morrigan design: some antler-like crossguard with wolf heads in the center, noses down to the fuller (or up?) while the pommel is styled like some kind of wolfs paw. Both parts are made of solid bronze, lost-wax-method as far as i know. And here is the second nitpicking: the wolf head on one side is a little smaller and shorter than on the other side...looks a little bit off, asymmetrical. If they were upper jaw/lower jaw, fine...but i believe they were designed to be of same size. No big deal though. Maybe i will rework the smaller head to look like the lower half, removing ear-, eye- and nose details carefully...we will see. Anyway, casting is great and the peen is hidden very well.
The grip:
The grip is also very well made, nicely shaped, with a very good wrapping job and nearly no seam visible. A bronze spacer would have been a nice addition, but hey...
Test cutting:
So far i can only testify that its a serious pool noodle killer...i have some problems with tatami, but i think its more my fault than the swords.
Conclusion:
As i said earlier - the heart of my collection. I was SO happy when Bill offered me to get this baby from him...never saw a chance to get a Lundemo blade here in Germany. I would recommend John Lundemo/Longship Armoury to every collector who is looking for something special in tremendous quality for a high but reasonable price.
Pros: - flawless, big blade
- excellent fuller
- excellent sharp edges
- excellent grip job
- very nice high quality bronze fittings
- good peen job, doesnt hit the eye
- good handling for its size and weight
Cons: - minimal sagging of the blade
- bronze guard casting is a little asymmetric
- quite high price; but please ask Bill what he paid for it, i dont know
- well it IS no light sword, surely too heavy for some
By the way, the last two pics show Bills tiny paw...not mine... xD