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Post by brandonlee on Feb 10, 2019 6:18:55 GMT
Glancing at the design, I can't seem to understand how exactly you would hold one of them. They look rather obtrusive to the hand with it's "prongs" and especially so when thinking of them combined with longsword techniques. Attachments:
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Post by Jordan Williams on Feb 10, 2019 6:20:46 GMT
It's actually more comfortable then you might think.
The flat sides keep the edge alignment easy and do not protrude into your pommel unlike round pommels, and the ridges are often very soft when well made.
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Post by leviathansteak on Feb 10, 2019 6:30:29 GMT
You can hold the neck of the pommel and not the protruding bits. Its good if you like a grip extension like a scent stopper pommel but with the added advantage of feeling the edge alignment due to the flattened shape.
If youre someone who likes to hold the entire pommel in your hand then maybe a classic scent stopper is more appropriate for you
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Post by MOK on Feb 10, 2019 9:52:37 GMT
Depends on the fishtail and the sword it's on. Some are quite rounded, very much like flat scent-stoppers just with little decorative cutouts, while some are more angular like the one in the OP, but IME both may or may not be entirely comfortable to handle in whatever way. Some are meant to be gripped in the palm, some are not (especially on one-handers), and how large your hands are in relation to any individual pommel can be a big factor in how comfortable it is to hold.
As a general thing, on longswords where they are meant to function as an extension of the grip, I tend to find them quite comfortable and secure, feeling almost like the beaked pommels on many South-East Asian weapons, or the sharply angled pommel caps of some sabers and especially Middle-Eastern scimitars, with my pinkie and ring fingers (or ring and middle fingers, or middle and index fingers, depending on the overall length of the handle and how much space/leverage I happen to feel the need for) curling very snugly and naturally into the concave curve of the neck.
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Post by brandonlee on Feb 10, 2019 11:14:59 GMT
Interesting, this is very helpful. So then I take it the side opposite of your fingers doesn't dig into your palm while in use? I'm also curious if anywhere, the little protrusion slot circled in the picture gets or can be used by a pinky or finger at all. Attachments:
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Post by leviathansteak on Feb 10, 2019 14:20:45 GMT
If it's digging into your palm youre probably holding it too low.
Your pinky doesn't go into those grooves. I imagine the grooves might be there to accentuate the effects of a pommel strike or mordschlag. Or maybe just fashion
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christain
Member
It's the steel on the inside that counts.
Posts: 2,835
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Post by christain on Feb 10, 2019 16:31:21 GMT
The one sword I ever owned with a fishtail (Marto decorative wall hanger), I could fit my pinky in the rounded section and found it quite comfortable to do most anything with the blade. But....I suppose it all depends on the sword. Just my 2 cents.
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Post by Jordan Williams on Feb 10, 2019 16:37:45 GMT
You could put your pinky in the groove, but you could also hold the sword upside down.
It's not really supposed to be used for that I think honestly.
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christain
Member
It's the steel on the inside that counts.
Posts: 2,835
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Post by christain on Feb 10, 2019 16:48:53 GMT
Well...with it being a decorative piece, I never really pushed it too hard. I did find it helpful for getting good edge alignment in a 2-hand grip. Overall, not my favorite pommel style...but they do look nice.
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Post by mpsmith47304 on Feb 10, 2019 16:57:33 GMT
The fishtail on my Albion Regent is actually surprisingly comfortable. In most cases, I simply grip the neck of the pommel, but I can grab the whole thing quite comfortably as well. I prefer it to a full round scent stopper. Not to mention, it looks fantastic.
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Post by MOK on Feb 10, 2019 18:25:19 GMT
Interesting, this is very helpful. So then I take it the side opposite of your fingers doesn't dig into your palm while in use? It probably can, but it's never been an issue for me. Again, sure you can if the cutout is large enough, but it's never seemed practical to me and probably isn't their intended use; most likely they're just meant to look stylish.
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Post by cptraph on Mar 10, 2024 7:01:31 GMT
I'm curious to know if a fishtail could be effective for blunt strikes
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Post by toddstratton1 on Mar 10, 2024 10:30:04 GMT
I'm curious to know if a fishtail could be effective for blunt strikes any pommel is effective for blunt strikes though. Some just look more painful than others.
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