Custom Writhen-Style Falchion "Pétala"

I like the measurements, and I think the final design is superb. Now it's up to the artist to bring it all to life.

I love the constructional methods he's using here. Anyone have any idea what kind of material the polishing stone is? Or what about that chisel-like tool? What the heck is that?

Thanks for the article! I think this is so freaking cool. The history nerd in me is gleeful watching this get made. I love old school tools and techniques.

Agreed.

Yes I can see the maple leaf design too :)

A fine companion piece for the Vined Prince!

Earlier this week, I received this awesome custom falchion designed by Brother Nathaniel, and forged by Purna Darnal. It's completely hand made in the traditional way in lieu of any modern machinery, meaning not only was it hand forged, but polished and sharpened by hand by medieval means. The brass pommel, crossguard and grip spacer are hand carved, with Brother Nathaniel's design of blooming tulips. I will do a detailed review with tatami cutting, before shipping to the rightful owner.

This fantasy design is inspired by late medieval and early Renaissance falchions (15/16th century), as well as several writhen-hilt swords made in the mid-late 15th century. The blade is incredibly broad for a single-handed sword, starts out at 48.3mm right above the notch with the cross iconic to Brother Nathaniel's designs, and gradually tapers upward to 51.2mm at halfway across the blade, at the single clip point it reaches the widest point of the blade at 56mm, and tapers down in the profile from there to a point. At 2" from the tip it is 27.5mm broad, therefore having a profile to accommodate deep edge bevels throughout the entire length of the blade. Therefore it is a hefty piece--coming in at 2 lbs 15 oz, or 1330 grams with a 25.6" blade and 32.2" overall.

However the distal taper makes this sword come alive in the hand. The blade starts out at 8mm at the base, and gradually tapers in a linear way down to 5.1mm at the clip point, about halfway across the blade, and slowly tapers down to 3.5mm at 2" from the tip and 2.4mm at 1" from the tip. It is incredibly rigid. The blade has an almost complete V-shape cross section, sporting a full flat ground from the spine to the edge, with a slight amount of apple seeding about half an inch before the edge. The point of balance is at 3.5" or 8.8cm from the guard.

Apparently a good amount of the weight is from the hilt. The crossguard consists of two writhen brass bars and carved quillon terminations in the shape of tulips. A writhen steel D-guard provides additional protection, and the shape provide amble space for the hand, while the edges of the D-guard are properly chamfered. When I looked at the photos during the making process, I was worried, but now that I've handled it, I am surprised how comfortable the D-guard is. Knuckle bows and D-guards are sometimes found on medieval single-edged swords, notable the Wakefield English hangers and similar swords.

The elephant in the room is the weight/size ratio of this falchion. Some originals are quite lightweight, coming in at 2 lbs or slightly more--see the example at Metropolitan Museum in Manhattan. Wakefield Hangers tend to be even lighter. However, many Renaissance examples are surprisingly heavy. The Medici falchion housed at the Wallace Collection weighs 3.7 lbs, and many 16-17th century hangers with pommel weighs around 2.7-3 lbs with similar size of blades. So I would say the weight of this falchion is quite average. It nevertheless is hefty and has a lot of authority in cutting. The edge geometry is magnificent, and the sharpness is at razor level--typical for Purna Darnal pieces.

Please look forward to my upcoming video review of this piece. So far I am extremely impressed, and I want to express my gratitude to Brother Nathaniel for letting me handle and review this incredible piece of his design first!


CRAZY DISTAL TAPER