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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Oct 5, 2014 6:42:57 GMT
I've never done it on wasters but it shouldn't be different than on real swords and there you need to experiment with pommel weights until the forward pp moves to the tip. At this point guard and "blade" should be finished so you're only changing one variable, the pommel weight. Rule of thumb: a heavier pommel pushes the f.p.p. towards the tip.
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Oct 4, 2014 16:45:07 GMT
Good review of an imposing sword. I like Regenyei, for the price it's impossible to get a better custom (in Europe anyway). His work is a bit rough but solid and functionally sound.
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Oct 4, 2014 12:55:53 GMT
Got to handle this sword today. Agree with Bill on all accounts. It's very beautiful, both the hilt and the blade are flawlessly executed. Very clean work all around. However, and this is unacceptable in my opinion (especially at that price point!!), the handling can't be described as anything but poor. No distal taper (nor any profile taper but that's not a necessity for the type), the blade starts out pretty thin (I'd guess 5mm) and stays like that all the way to the point. On such a long blade, that results in a very blade heavy sword that lacks any grace in hand. It sure is a heavy hitter though. Interestingly, it's not too flexible, which is usually the problem with blades that start thin and don't taper much distally. I think that's because the blade retains its width for the entire length.
In the end, this sword is a stunner on display but a disappointment in hand. The scabbard follows the same trend, it looks very nice and compliments the sword well but the fit leaves a lot to be desired.
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Oct 3, 2014 6:51:18 GMT
Thanks. I've made around 10 swords (though the first few hardly deserved the name), a bunch of knives and some other smaller stuff. Hard to keep track :lol: @sean, I knew, you'd like it. Green
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Oct 2, 2014 20:16:21 GMT
Those rarely have any thumb protection and especially on the upper hand (longsword), that's exactly where you get hit the most.
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Oct 2, 2014 15:09:04 GMT
Nice pics and description, Bill! I really appreciate you doing this, it's very helpful as a maker to get a second opinion. Especially if said person has such an extensive, high quality collection for comparison And thanks for the nice words, guys!
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Oct 1, 2014 17:55:31 GMT
I really wouldn't say later period suspensions were primarily for use on horseback. Especially when longswords were at the height of both development and use in the 15th and early 16th century, many civilians carried swords and fought on foot (that's the time we have the most manuals from and while there is fighting on horseback in the manuals, most longsword stuff is done on the ground). It's also no surprise that a 35" viking sword is handier to carry than a 50" longsword, no matter the suspension.
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Sept 27, 2014 20:58:23 GMT
You could also drill through, key and peen. Would have to modify the tang end a bit but shouldn't be too much work.
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Sept 21, 2014 13:25:59 GMT
Reworked the grip to smooth things out a bit. It's a slight change but now I feel much better with it Added the new pics to the original post.
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Sept 20, 2014 20:59:09 GMT
Looking great!! May your thumb heal swiftly, you're gonna need it
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Sept 20, 2014 18:42:57 GMT
Added a very short cutting vid, nothing the least bit impressive but it will have to do until I get the chance to cut some more.
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Sept 20, 2014 17:22:29 GMT
No idea why it's taking so long, it has always been like that... Photobucket isn't very fast either but not that long. I guess it's the internet connection?
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Sept 20, 2014 16:17:46 GMT
Thanks. I used an angle grinder and a worn down (so very small) cut-off-disc. Takes a steady hand and very careful, small movements. One slip and you're done. But go slow and with control and it works just fine. A dremel with a small disc would be a safer route. Less chance of imminent disaster
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Sept 20, 2014 14:27:36 GMT
Thanks guys.
Findlithui: no, the guard is the stock guard cleaned up and countersunk for the blade's shoulders, the pommel a reground H/T GSoW pommel.
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Sept 20, 2014 11:09:31 GMT
Thanks. Yeah, the grip has a distinct antiqued or worn look. The leather I used wasn't pristine anymore either so that adds to the impression, too. That's why I'm toying with the idea to blue or blacken the fittings and then mildly rub them with high grit sandpaper.
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Sept 20, 2014 8:55:54 GMT
Hi guys, here‘s something quite interesting: an old Atrim dressed in new clothes! I don‘t know the history behind this sword other than that Bill got it from some French guy and passed it on to me. I then customized the hell out of it I unfortunately didn‘t take a picture of it in its original condition but suffice to say it screamed „make me pretty!“. It had this ridiculously small pommel (old ATrim design, no idea what to call it), a blackened guard and a blade in dire need of some love. I first reground the tip section to straighten the wobbly center line and made it a bit pointier. Then I cleaned up the fullers, polished the blade and gave it a shaving sharp edge. The guard was trued up (the quillons were out of alignment), got a nice satin finished and I countersunk the blade‘s shoulders. The old pommel was discarded in favor of a cleaned up H/T GSoW pommel (also slightly reground to have the desired weight). I had to modify the threaded tang end a bit but it was not far off. For the handle I used the old core and shaped it to my liking. Then it was wrapped with leather. I did use pretty thick string for the under wrap and it shows, I might go back and redo that but for now it works. I might also blue the fittings, still on the fence about that. An ongoing project So, the new stats: weight: 1560g (3.4lb) overall length: 117cm (46“) blade length: 88cm (34.6“) grip length: 23cm (9“) blade width at base: 6cm (2.4“) PoB: 11cm (4.3“) CoP: 55cm (21.6“) forward pivot point: 1cm behind tip hilt node: 5.5cm (2.1“) below guard, right under my middle finger This sword is a cutting beast. The blade is wide, stiff and not too thick in the upper third. The blade geometry is quite complex, after the fuller the blade sports a hexagonal cross section that turns into a diamond shape a few inches from the tip. Distal taper is pretty linear, tapering from 6mm at the base down to 2.5mm at the tip. Handling is excellent. The sword is authorative yet very responsive. Tip control is very good due to the pivot point at the tip, not something one can take for granted on such a sword design. In fact, this sword feels like a smaller, handier, more cutting-focused version of my XVIIIb longsword. The wide tip of course lacks any ability to pierce hard targets but against soft material it is absolutely sufficient. The blade is also more than stiff enough for deeply penetrating thrusts in unarmored opponents. I now regret having cut up all my bottles for the cutting vids last week. I could only cut a few tetra packs with this sword, as soon as I get enough for a video, I‘ll update this thread. I also have some tatami mats I‘m VERY much looking forward to cut. EDIT: Here's a very short cutting video, not very impressive but I will update it in a few weeks when I get the chance to cut some more: Should've worn a different pair of pants, my gf is still making fun of me... :lol: EDIT 2: Reworked the grip slightly to smooth things out a bit (as well as get the top and bottom risers identical in set up). It's a small change but I'm much happier with it now. Thanks for looking!
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Sept 19, 2014 6:59:35 GMT
Ha, thanks Ric. I do try to cut the way I fight (spar). Not into the Zen-like approach
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Sept 18, 2014 16:54:59 GMT
Thanks guys. zach: yeah, once the video is on YouTube, all is well. I've decided multiple times to only upload vids to YouTube but then I see "120min until completed" and go back to Photobucket... Makes sense, that they changed the tip shape. Not that any Albion user would put his/her Regent or Earl up against some armor but good to have a reinforced tip anyway LemuelTheLemur: I'm 183cm tall (6 feet even). Yep, it's a big sword, reaches my armpit (old Italian master di Vadi defines that as the correct length and it's my preference as well). Next one I'm making will be even longer, 55" overall with a 42.5" blade. Otherwise very similar. The guy I'm making it for is a bit taller than me and also wants the sword to reach his arm pit. Yeah, these are very imposing swords
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Sept 18, 2014 11:43:08 GMT
Hi guys, I did quite a bit of cutting yesterday with both my XVIIIb longsword as well as Bill's Albion Regent. I've talked at length about my XVIIIb and how it cuts so no surprise there but there's practically no cutting video of the Albion Earl or Regent, so I thought this would be quite interesting. This particular Regent has quite a thin tip section. It tapers down to 2mm at the tip which in my opinion is a bit too thin for a war sword that is also supposed to be used against armored opponents. I don't see this tip taking well to thrusts against mail or other harder targets. Bill's Earl (which supposedly has the same blade) is noticeably thicker there. So while this particular Regent may cut a bit better with the last few inches than most other Earls or Regents (which would be stouter thrusters) further down both blades I saw were identical enough to allow for general statements regarding the Earl's and Regent's cutting performance: They cut excellently! This Regent also doesn't have any trace of a secondary bevel (like Bill's Earl but unlike some other Regents I've seen :?: ). It has a very acute edge that bites aggressively. I didn't notice the hollow grind with prominent ridge to have any mentionable negative impact when cutting soft targets like plastic bottles or tatami mats. In this video I only cut bottles and tetra packs but I've put the Regent up against tatami and it cut effortlessly. I only see the hollow grind to pose a bit of a problem when it comes to harder targets. I tried to cut 5mm thick hardened leather draped over tatami and the edge would bit into the leather but then get stuck as the blade tried to force the leather apart. There the flat ground blade of my XVIIIb did a bit better. However, on tatami mats and bottles, my XVIIIb doesn't cut quite as effortlessly as it is both thicker and narrower. As usual, it's a trade off. One thing I feel could be improved on the Regent (or this one anyway) is the forward pivot point. It's a bit farer away from the tip than on my XVIIIb or the Albion Munich. Both these have that pivot point right at the tip and therefore possess slightly better point control. It's not a big deal and not very noticeably in use though, just something to nit-pick. So, enough rambling, here are the vids. For some reason photobucket stubbornly refused to upload the Regent video so I had to use YouTube instead (which took forever to upload, too...) My XVIIIb: The Regent: Cutting is fun
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Sept 18, 2014 6:47:20 GMT
That's adorable!! Very cool.
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