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Post by illustry on Aug 3, 2020 1:07:47 GMT
My new-to-me Albion Rouen had some asymmetry of the grip that bugged me when I would use it. Also, I'd been wanting something with a red grip for a while now. So I figured, why not go ahead and ruin the Rouen?
I peeled off the grip and sanded the wood core to make it symmetrical, testing in-hand til I felt it was right.
Then I added a riser in the same spot as before. I considered leaving it out because I liked the clean look I had at this point, but the riser definitely helps with a secure grip, and I didn't want to compromise that.
Then I used a plastic bag to get a rough size for cutting out the leather.
Started the wrap with super glue along the seam, then spread on clear gorilla glue everywhere else, to give more working time and a smoother look. Ended the wrap with super glue to seal it up and keep it pulled tight while the gorilla glue dried.
Tied twine around the edges and riser to keep it down firm. Waited a few hours and trimmed up the seam and edges with scissors and an xacto knife, and added more super glue to those areas to keep it secure and sealed. The super glue tends to darken the leather at the seam area, but I can live with it.
Lately I am really liking a smooth leather vs the cord overwrap look. I would like to get better at skiving and make the seam invisible, but it does the job.
Hope you enjoy the photos!
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Post by Lord Newport on Aug 3, 2020 3:52:31 GMT
Nice job.. still liking the handling / balance?
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Post by illustry on Aug 3, 2020 13:10:03 GMT
Nice job.. still liking the handling / balance? Thanks. Yes, it's just a great all around blade. The cutting ability is on par with the best cutters, out to about 4" from tip, then it's on par with the best stabbers. You can't ask for more in a sword.
I've been considering shortening the grip and it might even be a good candidate for a Castillon sword. It has the blade for it.
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Post by Jordan Williams on Aug 8, 2020 6:49:05 GMT
I would hesitate before doing that. Peter Johnsson would be good to consult on how to achieve a good balance with it.
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Post by illustry on Aug 10, 2020 1:12:44 GMT
I would hesitate before doing that. Peter Johnsson would be good to consult on how to achieve a good balance with it. The balance problem is just a calculation of mass needed to achieve same, with a shorter lever. But, your suggestion makes me wonder if I would mess up the vibration nodes. Food for thought...
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Post by Sullivan on Aug 10, 2020 3:34:56 GMT
I would hesitate before doing that. Peter Johnsson would be good to consult on how to achieve a good balance with it. The balance problem is just a calculation of mass needed to achieve same, with a shorter lever. But, your suggestion makes me wonder if I would mess up the vibration nodes. Food for thought... It’s funny how frequently it happens lately, that I read or come across something on separate sites, only to within a few hours come across a thread on SBG that pertains to exactly what I was reading/looking at. In this case, I had recently been letting a Google Images search drag me across the internet, looking for blades that piqued my interest- this case starting with the Windlass Arbedo. Suffice it to say, I came across the Rouen, which was a design heretofore unknown to me, and I opened a MyArmoury thread on it to read up. This thread is ancient, from when Albion was getting the NG line off the ground (I think?) , and they detailed how the Rouen wasn‘t one designed tip-to-pommel by Peter (though done under his general guidance if I interpret it right) and when they showed it to him for his approval, he expressed interest in taking a bare blade and modifying it to have a single-handed hilt himself. myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.1715.html“Had you, or will you, consider other hilt treatments for the same blade type? When the sword was introduced, Peter Johnsson (an important consultant and designer to the Albion Mark line) had not had a chance to see the sword yet. It was designed using many of the principles that Peter has found to be common among medieval swords though. During Peter's latest trip, he had with him designs for two other such Type XVIIIa blades which will be put into production in the coming year, but he also decided that he wanted to design a hilt for this blade. He has taken a production blade home with him, and will be carving wax master hilt components for it. I believe that he plans on a single hand hilt configuration for this particular blade.” ... Whew, sorry if this is overly long. My browser has been giving me issues and signing me out of the forum and reloading everytime I switched tabs to copy/paste. I had to rewrite this three times, and didn’t look over it to cut the fat this time. Sorry dudes, but hope it’s of some value.
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Post by illustry on Aug 10, 2020 3:54:24 GMT
Hi Sullivan, I too have read those old posts (and in fact Jordan's comment sent me down another rabbit hole on pivot points). I don't know that the Rouen blade made it into the NG plans. The hollow ground Kingmaker and Burgundian have more narrow blades, so can't be them. The hollow ground blades are very time consuming to produce. Swords like the Constable, Castellan and Lancaster would be good candidates for being hollow ground, but would be much more expensive. Peter Johnsson of couse has created the mother of all Castillon replicas. I have previously emailed him for some details on that sword. Gael Fabre also makes some very good ones. These Castillon swords have a balance point very close to the guard... much closer than you would think at first glance. And the huge pommels necessarily give you a forward pivot point right near the tip. The Rouen certainly is a single hand sword in handling, by a long shot. So that extra grip is just not used, and will give your opponent more ability to disarm you (hypothetically speaking, of course).
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Post by Sullivan on Aug 10, 2020 4:12:44 GMT
Hi Sullivan, I too have read those old posts (and in fact Jordan's comment sent me down another rabbit hole on pivot points). I don't know that the Rouen blade made it into the NG plans. The hollow ground Kingmaker and Burgundian have more narrow blades, so can't be them. The hollow ground blades are very time consuming to produce. Swords like the Constable, Castellan and Lancaster would be good candidates for being hollow ground, but would be much more expensive. Peter Johnsson of couse has created the mother of all Castillon replicas. I have previously emailed him for some details on that sword. Gael Fabre also makes some very good ones. These Castillon swords have a balance point very close to the guard... much closer than you would think at first glance. And the huge pommels necessarily give you a forward pivot point right near the tip. The Rouen certainly is a single hand sword in handling, by a long shot. So that extra grip is just not used, and will give your opponent more ability to disarm you (hypothetically speaking, of course). No, you’re right as far as I know, that it was definitely at least not a regularly featured Next Generation offering- hence likely explaining my complete unfamiliarity with it. I just thought it was interesting that you were talking about making it a one-handed grip, and that someone said you should consult Peter on that, only to have myself just seen that Peter himself considered making a version with a single-handed hilt. It’s an awesome looking sword! Where did you source yours, if you don’t mind?
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Post by illustry on Aug 10, 2020 12:55:11 GMT
It’s an awesome looking sword! Where did you source yours, if you don’t mind? I got mine off ebay only a few months ago. It came with a basic scabbard, too. I paid at the high end, especially with shipping and now taxes that ebay is charging. The price I paid doesn't bother me with this one, since it's a keeper. Deals can be found - I believe Lord Newport snagged one early this year for under 500. I am most impressed by the functionality and handling of the blade. Cutting is just effortless with it due to the thin hollow ground edges. It has a great sword wind due to the thick central spine. And it has the reinforced thrusting tip. No question why these 15th century blades seemed to be the pinnacle of medieval sword design, at least in my opinion.
And thank you, I had forgotten that PJ intended to create a single handed hilt for this blade. It makes complete sense: 2lb 7oz, 4" pob; light and agile in one hand.
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