Windlass 1520 English Proto Basket Hilt Sword
Jan 21, 2018 18:37:38 GMT
Post by Dave Kelly on Jan 21, 2018 18:37:38 GMT
Windlass 1520 English Proto Basket Hilt Sword
INTRODUCTION
Maybe 4 years ago, I had found the Windlass UK main site. Primary business of the site was to sell British service sabers and accessories. But under the presentation sword category, turns up that Windlass makes and sells the presentation sword for the Marie Rose Org. I asked if this sword was available for interested public purchase and was told, sure is.
When I asked I was still going great guns on 19th Cent. cav items. Time slipped away. Brexit and a moment of weakness in the PSD brought me back for a deal. They put me on the order list. Was told 6 wks and no down pmt required. At 5 wks I got a notice that the sword was ready to ship and a bill. About 600.00 usd, shipped. Before the 6 wk mark, DHL delivered the sword.
www.windlasssword.com/mary-rose-sword.html
BACKGROUND
Not looking to immerse yourself in the Marie Rose site, the ship was the first caracolle, broadside, heavy vessel built for Henry VIII in 1511. It participated in 2 wars against the French thru 1526 then went into reserve. In 1536 the 500 ton vessel went thru a major renovation, adding a second gun deck and 200 ton gross weight. In 1545 the French attacked into the Solent and the Marie Rose went to battle for Portsmouth. In the opening of the battle the English big ships rolled out. The Marie Rose turned north, against the wind, broached, and slide over on her port side. Within minutes it was gone, taking 90% of the ships company with her. Exact cause of this debacle is unclear.
Maritime archaeologists located the wreck in the 1960's. In 1972 a major salvage operation raised half of the unravaged vessel and a huge cache of artifacts came from the sea bed. An example of the sword included.
www.maryrose.org/discover-our-collection/story-of-the-ship/why-did-the-mary-rose-sink/
The Marie Rose Sword is not unique. Other examples exist in the Leeds Armory. Ray Harrington also passed out an engraving of George Silvers writings with a gentleman holding a sword looking quite similar and in character with Silver's stout English blade.
CHARACTERISTICS
This is not a small sword. 42 inches long, with a 36 inch blade. The blade is typical of early fighting side swords and rapiers. The difference is the straight grip and no quillon supports.
Taper is 6.9 - 2 mm. The blade width is 1.25-1 inch.
With a 3 inch PoB this lacks the potency of a broad sword. There is a whole bunch of weight in hand. I blame the presentation boiler plate for a lot of that. The gilt and wire wrap is atypical of recovered weapons.
The grip is only 3.5 inches long. The guard and the large ball shaped pommel does not provide any overlap space to rest the heal of the hand. No place to rest the thumb, except to ball the fist and squeeze.
HANDLING
The utility of this type sword comes down to how correct the shape of the guard is. I use size 11 gloves and have long fingers. The only way I can get any play with the sword is to wear a heavy buff leather pair of gloves I got from the Marshall company. Bare handed or with softer cavalry gauntlets my knuckles jam on the guard bars. I wouldn't survive 2 minutes of rough play with this model.
With enough padding the sword is quick to cut and fairly easy to bring the point on line.
SUMMARY
Quick and dirty this gets high marks as a display piece, but you're SOL if you have more than small hands.
Arms and Armor and Robert Miller in Scotland have both done this sword. Paying a custom maker will get you mods to sword suitable to fit the user. (for the fee)
All the plate and wire, this does not come sharp.
( I should also mention that Windlass/MRL have released an English broadsword just recently. It is the next gen of this sword. I would be very leary of jumping on that sword for fear that it's guard might not meet my needs.)
Cheers
INTRODUCTION
Maybe 4 years ago, I had found the Windlass UK main site. Primary business of the site was to sell British service sabers and accessories. But under the presentation sword category, turns up that Windlass makes and sells the presentation sword for the Marie Rose Org. I asked if this sword was available for interested public purchase and was told, sure is.
When I asked I was still going great guns on 19th Cent. cav items. Time slipped away. Brexit and a moment of weakness in the PSD brought me back for a deal. They put me on the order list. Was told 6 wks and no down pmt required. At 5 wks I got a notice that the sword was ready to ship and a bill. About 600.00 usd, shipped. Before the 6 wk mark, DHL delivered the sword.
www.windlasssword.com/mary-rose-sword.html
BACKGROUND
Not looking to immerse yourself in the Marie Rose site, the ship was the first caracolle, broadside, heavy vessel built for Henry VIII in 1511. It participated in 2 wars against the French thru 1526 then went into reserve. In 1536 the 500 ton vessel went thru a major renovation, adding a second gun deck and 200 ton gross weight. In 1545 the French attacked into the Solent and the Marie Rose went to battle for Portsmouth. In the opening of the battle the English big ships rolled out. The Marie Rose turned north, against the wind, broached, and slide over on her port side. Within minutes it was gone, taking 90% of the ships company with her. Exact cause of this debacle is unclear.
Maritime archaeologists located the wreck in the 1960's. In 1972 a major salvage operation raised half of the unravaged vessel and a huge cache of artifacts came from the sea bed. An example of the sword included.
www.maryrose.org/discover-our-collection/story-of-the-ship/why-did-the-mary-rose-sink/
The Marie Rose Sword is not unique. Other examples exist in the Leeds Armory. Ray Harrington also passed out an engraving of George Silvers writings with a gentleman holding a sword looking quite similar and in character with Silver's stout English blade.
CHARACTERISTICS
This is not a small sword. 42 inches long, with a 36 inch blade. The blade is typical of early fighting side swords and rapiers. The difference is the straight grip and no quillon supports.
Taper is 6.9 - 2 mm. The blade width is 1.25-1 inch.
With a 3 inch PoB this lacks the potency of a broad sword. There is a whole bunch of weight in hand. I blame the presentation boiler plate for a lot of that. The gilt and wire wrap is atypical of recovered weapons.
The grip is only 3.5 inches long. The guard and the large ball shaped pommel does not provide any overlap space to rest the heal of the hand. No place to rest the thumb, except to ball the fist and squeeze.
HANDLING
The utility of this type sword comes down to how correct the shape of the guard is. I use size 11 gloves and have long fingers. The only way I can get any play with the sword is to wear a heavy buff leather pair of gloves I got from the Marshall company. Bare handed or with softer cavalry gauntlets my knuckles jam on the guard bars. I wouldn't survive 2 minutes of rough play with this model.
With enough padding the sword is quick to cut and fairly easy to bring the point on line.
SUMMARY
Quick and dirty this gets high marks as a display piece, but you're SOL if you have more than small hands.
Arms and Armor and Robert Miller in Scotland have both done this sword. Paying a custom maker will get you mods to sword suitable to fit the user. (for the fee)
All the plate and wire, this does not come sharp.
( I should also mention that Windlass/MRL have released an English broadsword just recently. It is the next gen of this sword. I would be very leary of jumping on that sword for fear that it's guard might not meet my needs.)
Cheers