Franken Rapier
Feb 25, 2017 5:24:46 GMT
Post by Afoo on Feb 25, 2017 5:24:46 GMT
I bought the Windlass Munich sword a few months ago from a forumite. I liked it, but always found it a bit too heavy. I had ambitions of thinning the guard down, but realized that was not going to do nearly enough. The issue really lay with the blade and the pommel, neither of which I could change...or can I?
This month, an old Half-Basket rapier came up in the classifieds. Not a huge fan of the guard, but that blade looks pretty solid. And that pommel looks smaller than the one that came with the Munich. Hmmm....
The blade was all I was hoping for - at 1 inch wide its not a cutter. However, with a thickness of 6.5mm at the base tapering to 3.5 mm at the tip, its a good thrusting design. Very stiff with great point control. The thicker blade meant that some surgery had to be done on the guard, but after an evening's work I had my final product.
There are some finishing touches to be done - the blade doesn't quite sit right in the guard and the grip needs to be shortened, but as a proof of principle I am quite pleased.
The PoB is 2.5 inches from the front rings and 4 inches from the quillon - much like the original despite the longer (37.5 inch) blade. However, the weight is down to 2.47 pounds - an astonishing loss compared to the original 3+ pounds of the Munich.
Handling is much better as well - point control is much more refined. I am not an expert in this field, but I would expect such a blade to be a civilian weapon, being an almost purely thrusting weapon. The Munich guard may be a bit over-built for this purpose, but I think it works. Gives it a much more rough and ready look compared to the more refined offerings from Arms and Armour - but at a fraction of the price. It also means I get a spare Munich blade to play with.
Added bonus is that the tang dimensions for the Half Basket are pretty similar to that of the Hanwei Practical rapiers, so I can swap out blades for sparing. Given how sturdy the Munich guard is, I will have no concerns about it breaking or getting bent it. Sure, it may get a few scratches, but that will only serve to fuel its desire for blood!
Lastly, all this work means I have a spare Half-basket guard. Any ideas as to what I should do with it?
This month, an old Half-Basket rapier came up in the classifieds. Not a huge fan of the guard, but that blade looks pretty solid. And that pommel looks smaller than the one that came with the Munich. Hmmm....
The blade was all I was hoping for - at 1 inch wide its not a cutter. However, with a thickness of 6.5mm at the base tapering to 3.5 mm at the tip, its a good thrusting design. Very stiff with great point control. The thicker blade meant that some surgery had to be done on the guard, but after an evening's work I had my final product.
There are some finishing touches to be done - the blade doesn't quite sit right in the guard and the grip needs to be shortened, but as a proof of principle I am quite pleased.
The PoB is 2.5 inches from the front rings and 4 inches from the quillon - much like the original despite the longer (37.5 inch) blade. However, the weight is down to 2.47 pounds - an astonishing loss compared to the original 3+ pounds of the Munich.
Handling is much better as well - point control is much more refined. I am not an expert in this field, but I would expect such a blade to be a civilian weapon, being an almost purely thrusting weapon. The Munich guard may be a bit over-built for this purpose, but I think it works. Gives it a much more rough and ready look compared to the more refined offerings from Arms and Armour - but at a fraction of the price. It also means I get a spare Munich blade to play with.
Added bonus is that the tang dimensions for the Half Basket are pretty similar to that of the Hanwei Practical rapiers, so I can swap out blades for sparing. Given how sturdy the Munich guard is, I will have no concerns about it breaking or getting bent it. Sure, it may get a few scratches, but that will only serve to fuel its desire for blood!
Lastly, all this work means I have a spare Half-basket guard. Any ideas as to what I should do with it?
