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Post by viece on Aug 18, 2018 3:34:42 GMT
Hey yeah that sword! (censored)it why did I get rid of it... Hey, I thought that was you! Thanks for the note, and of course for letting it go. I really enjoy this piece.
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Post by viece on Aug 16, 2018 20:05:01 GMT
I recently contacted A&A to see if they'd make another one of your custom Walloons for me, either the ornate Haudegen or the simpler Town Guard style. I knew either of them would be expensive but the price points ended up being more than I expected, so I didn't pull the trigger. I decided I would rather get 2-3 nice antiques for the price of a modern repro, no matter how beautifully made it is (and I know Arms & Armor does a wonderful job and their expert time on it would fully justify the price).
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Post by viece on Aug 16, 2018 1:24:37 GMT
I wonder walloons are mostly cavalry weapons (correct me if im wrong) How does it handle on foot? Use it broadsword style? That's my impression as well, but most of the Walloons I see at dealer sites are larger, heavier, and more suited for use on horseback, with 35- to 38-inch blades. Here's one of the bigger examples I tried to get but just missed: www.antiqueweaponstore.com/North%20European%20Broadsword,%20Possibly%20Swedish,%20ca.%201630.htm Mine does feel more infantry-oriented, and the forumite from whom I bought it characterized it as an infantry officer's sword. It does handle very well, very easy to make fast moulinettes and quick little flicking cuts.
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Post by viece on Aug 15, 2018 23:51:31 GMT
I should note I got this on MyArmoury from someone who I believe is a member here as well. I'll let him chime in if he wants.
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Post by viece on Aug 15, 2018 23:50:28 GMT
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Post by viece on Aug 15, 2018 23:48:12 GMT
Hello all, I’d like to show you another of my favorite antiques. The two previous ones I’ve posted are here: sbg-sword-forum.forums.net/thread/54967/antique-scottish-basket-hilt-broadswordsbg-sword-forum.forums.net/thread/54972/antique-german-basket-hilt-swordThis one is a 17th-18th century Walloon-hilted sword with a straight, double-edged diamond section blade. It has been characterized in the past as a haudegen but my impression is that those are often broader and more cutting-focused. The writhen pommel, quillon, sweeping bars, thumb ring, and asymmetrical pierced shells of the guard all appear to be of steel. The grip is leather or sheepskin over wood, bound with twisted copper wire. It may be a replacement but if so is very old, probably during its use life. Everything is solid and tight. The blade is still fairly sharp and relatively undamaged but does show some forging defects, likely brought out by later corrosion that was then cleaned off. It has seen some action; the larger guard shell is missing a small piece that appears to have been knocked out by a musket ball or blade strike. I love the character of the flaws and damage on this piece, and of course a non-trivial associated factor is that that means it was affordable. When this sword came to me it had taken some severe impacts in the mail and the blade was bent into a shallow S curve. I very slowly and carefully straightened it at the bent points using clamps and dowels as shown by Matt Easton in one of his videos. Here are the basic stats: Weight/mass: 1.89 lb; 0.86 kg Total length: 37.4”; 95 cm Blade length: 31.9”; 81 cm Guard max length (along the rear quillon): 5.9”; 15 cm Hilt max width: 4.9”; 12.5 cm Grip length: 3.7”; 9.5 cm Blade max width at guard: 1.3”; 3.3 cm Point of balance: 3.3”; 8.5 cm Distal taper of the blade: 0.28” or 7 mm thick just below the guard, tapering to 0.10” or 2.5 mm thick at 4” or 10 cm from the tip It went through an auction in Portugal a few years ago and was listed as being associated with the War of the Restoration in 1640 (a conflict between Portugal and Spain). I don’t know of any direct evidence of such an association or date and usually see these associated more with northern and central Europe. If it does date to such an early period, then I’m very happy, but I have collected other assessments that place it in the later 17th century or early 18th century instead. It’s probably not possible to slice things so thinly and pin down the date or association, since so many armies were moving around Europe throughout this period, cross-pollinating tactics and weapons styles. I think this is the prettiest sword I have. The proportions and lines are just right, very elegant. In the hand it is incredibly fast, owing to the light weight and close POB. It almost feels like a smallsword, although of course the thumb ring forces you into a hammer grip instead of a smallsword or saber grip. It’s also generously sized for a complex hilt and so fits my large paws far better than the other antiques I’ve posted previously. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. Thanks for reading.
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Post by viece on Aug 14, 2018 20:30:40 GMT
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Post by viece on Aug 6, 2018 1:18:18 GMT
Watching "The Duellists," which is free on Amazon Prime US, based on tips here in the forums. Thanks to all who mentioned it!
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Post by viece on Aug 5, 2018 13:03:33 GMT
That's a great way to characterize it! I hope they expand the line and bring in some later styles.
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Post by viece on Aug 4, 2018 16:39:46 GMT
Am I interpreting the signature descriptions right... does the scabbard and belt package come with them for ~$500? The craftsman ones are $1,000+ with scabbard! Seems like an amazing deal. If they had a slender longsword (like a Sulowski-ish Type XVIIIa/b) in this line I would jump on it.
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Post by viece on Jul 30, 2018 22:03:53 GMT
Leo "Tod" Todeschini's Tod's Cutler web-shop has a superior stiletto (and sheath) for only £40.00 GBP ($52.42 USD). Wow! I had no idea. I always just associated his name with super high end customs (e.g. his recent repros of a couple Wallace Collection pieces). Didn't realize he made affordable stuff, including parts for projects!
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Post by viece on Jul 30, 2018 21:24:26 GMT
Luka-
Thanks for your comment. You may be right!
There was supposed to be a definitive book on Scottish baskets coming out soon; presumably it would help hone the dating of this sword and other examples. However, I just heard that the author, the Baron of Earlshall, tragically passed away earlier this year before completing his masterwork. Not sure what will happen with the research; I hope someone picks it up and finishes it.
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Post by viece on Jul 30, 2018 15:48:52 GMT
Or we call it a typical XIVI ! I know a few repros like this, DSA Medieval Knight, another DSA I forgot the name, my Kingston Arms XIV. I even think this could be a clone of a DSA "XIV" from their Indian source (EN45). The Windlass is a bit more like a real XIV, so it's an untypical XIVI. But if the Windlass is closer to a "real XIV" (because it's wider, I guess?), it's still diamond section for the last third of the blade.
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Post by viece on Jul 30, 2018 15:43:56 GMT
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Post by viece on Jul 28, 2018 17:51:18 GMT
Legacyofthesword, At some point soon I intend to review another 17th-century antique that I think you will like. It's the perfect example of a non-rapier complex hilt that you mention. It's a light, relatively small Walloon-hilted haudegen with beautiful curved bars and a semi-writhen pommel. The blade is double-edged, nicely tapered, and has a diamond section. Like the others it's still very useable and sharp. Before I acquired the German basket above, it was my favorite. I got it from someone on MyArmoury who I think is a member here, but I don't know whether he wants to remain anonymous so I won't divulge for now. It's currently on loan to someone else, but when I have it again I'll take better pics, weigh it, and so on. Attachments:
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Post by viece on Jul 28, 2018 14:26:42 GMT
Thank you so much for posting this and your other "review". I rarely get to see detailed examinations of antiques. I'm particularly interested in complex hilted non-rapiers from this era or thereabouts. Great sword, great post and pics. Thank you! I am still relatively new to the genre but am all in. It's just so exciting to handle these and think about the stories they could tell. It was a revelation to me when I found out that antique pieces were available for prices comparable to reproductions (comparable to higher end repros, that is; the only antiques you'll find for Deepeeka money are late historic bayonets ). You have to hunt for them, and you might as well just skip E-bay, but accessible and genuine antique swords are out there. It helps to be ok with rougher condition items. I don't mind some amount of damage and rust anyway; I actually prefer the patina and character.
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Post by viece on Jul 27, 2018 21:58:11 GMT
That's wonderful, thanks for posting the images.
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Post by viece on Jul 27, 2018 21:29:32 GMT
Get a dozen of 'em, do different grip treatments and patinas, and display them in a big circle on the wall. Or get a pile of them and make your own Iron Throne!
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Post by viece on Jul 27, 2018 21:26:48 GMT
And I should clarify, I was not asking for "how do you make a fake antique scabbard to fool people." I just meant a sheath or scabbard for transport, storage, maybe display, maybe even wear around at an event... curious how people approached the issue of making it "match" or not -- similar metal on the fittings? Age the leather and fittings to blend better? Go for a reconstruction of a period one or just do your own interpretation? But I do see what you mean, MOK, about the uncanny valley of proximity to fakery. I am not trying to fool anyone, just fully enjoy my antiques. But what if I sold the set, and then several steps down the line the modern part was being misrepresented as an original item? It's an interesting and worrying thought. Yeah, exactly! I think I might go for the same approach as paleontologists use when reconstructing partial fossilized skeletons - the fabricated parts (or, in this case, the sheath) are made to match the originals in form but are colored in an obviously artificial tone that separates them clearly from the fossil remains, a practice established after a famous 19th Century scandal involving the British Museum... So, personally, if I were to make a new sheath for an antique weapon, I would just make it look as unabashedly new as it actually is, and maybe include some small details that mark it as unmistakably modern on close inspection. MOK, that's a great analogy. I'm an archaeologist, not a paleontologist, but that's still close to home and really speaks to me. Another one that occurred to me is adaptive reuse and updating of historical buildings. For instance, a few months ago I was on vacation in Paris. My apartment was a block or two from the Cluny Museum. Unfortunately, it was closed, but I looked closely at the outside. They're building a very modern extension with all sorts of textured metal that presents an interesting homage to the 1,000-year-old stone right next to it. At first I was horrified, thinking "what are they doing to this lovely medieval (and older) building?" But then I got comfortable with it and realized I preferred it to fake Ye Olde Medieval Architecture on modern construction. Better to have cues and themes that draw the parts together but let them clearly be 1,000 years apart. Another museum that comes to mind is in Minneapolis, MN, USA, where some stone ruins of a historical mill were not restored per se but were left in place and then modern construction was placed in and around it, so you see modern steel and glass growing out of rough, ruined walls. It links past and present beautifully with no artifice.
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Post by viece on Jul 27, 2018 21:19:04 GMT
Emojis everywhere. Stitched into the leather, etched into the plastic chape/drag if applicable... Thousands of tiny emojis stamped into the leather as textured fields! It wouldn't be any worse than the historical armor covered in "figs" (Renaissance Italian version of the middle finger). Wait, is that true? The fig thing? Fantastic.
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