The official Mythic Scribes Swords Club! =)

[Sheilawisz]

Hello and Happy Halloween everyone!

I was thinking about this last night, and then I decided that Mythic Scribes needed an official Swords Club of its own. After all, I know that various people here own and use swords of many styles. It's also true that swords are often important objects in Fantasy stories, so here it is!

Welcome to the Official Mythic Scribes Swords Club =)

In this club, you can tell us about your sword or even sword collection. We can share pictures related to swords, and also talk about swords and everything related to them in general. Have fun!

To start with, I share with you two pictures of my Italian Longsword...



I took that one in my garden. The sun was shining, and you can see its light reflected on the blade with a spectacular effect. The second picture shows my sword together with its scabbard:



I have not used my sword in actual cutting yet, but I want to try that someday =)

 

[Garren Jacobsen]

I like the good ole slashy stabbies. I think my personal fav is the claymore.

 

[Sheilawisz]

Hi Brian!

I am not sure what kind of swords you mean by slashy stabbies, but I am a fan of the Scottish Claymore too. Just a few years ago I still dreamed of owning a huge Claymore someday, but eventually that love shifted towards other styles of European Longswords. The sword that you see in the pictures is my dream come true.

Back then, getting my hands on a real and functional sword was impossible.

Sword fans in the U.S. and Canada can simply order a sword either online or by phone, and it gets sent to their houses straight from the sword dealer like it was a pizza delivery. However, the situation in other countries gets complicated and the final price gets pretty high thanks to Custom Office fees, importation taxes, elevated shipment costs and more.

My Italian Longsword (by Cold Steel) is a relatively affordable sword in the U.S. with a price of 250 dollars, but I ended up paying a total of more than 500 dollars to get mine. As a result of this I do not even use it for any cutting, out of fear of causing even the slightest damage to it, and I have ordered something cheaper to do my cutting with instead.

General Question to any sword lover here: Which company is your favorite sword manufacturer?

I do not have a favorite because I have only one sword, but I think that Cold Steel is alright. Their swords are not historically accurate and the balance is poor, but who cares? They are nice, and cut alright, and they are affordable.

Everybody says that Albion swords are the best in the world, and I would love to get their Ringeck sword someday because it looks incredibly good but... yeah, that is totally unaffordable to me. I do not even want to ask my Importing Agent what the price of the Ringeck would be, since I want to live at least a little longer!

I'll post more pictures as soon as I get my Cold Steel All Terrain Chopper.

 

[ThinkerX]

And whatever became of Sheila's famous aluminum sword? Ever get a proper handgrip put on it?

 

[Russ]

I own a boat ton of swords and love them all so dearly. It is like having a great tool box with different tools for different reasons.

My favourites are from a friend who makes them custom, but after that I strongly recommend Albion to the discerning sword purchaser.

Albion Swords Ltd - Sword Cutlers and Blademakers - Fine Handmade Collectable Limited Edition Museum Quality Medieval Swords

 

[Sheilawisz]

Great, the Swords Club is starting to have some life!

Thinker: My Aluminum swordmaking craft has been halted for a long time, since I was causing considerable damage to my hands by doing that and it was quite frustrating to spend so much time working on a single sword. I am analyzing the possibility of acquiring a powerful machine that would do most of the work for me, though... maybe next year.

My Aluminum swords were never meant to have a wooden grip, the idea was just to wrap the handle with leather.

I am happy to tell you that my friend Angélica recently defended herself with the sword that I made for her, against a wild dog in the forest where she lives. I am not sure how injured the dog was, but the sword worked fine and I was really happy and satisfied to hear her account of the story.

In case anybody is interested, you can find my Aluminum Swordmaking thread right here!

Russ: I often visit the Albion swords site, just to stare at the pictures of all those beautiful and finely designed swords.

Do you have an Albion Ringeck? There are few reviews of it online, and I have not found a single cutting video with the Ringeck. What a sword, it's like the sword of my dreams... That's pretty much the style of sword that my characters have in my stories, even though the CS Italian Longsword is a look-alike as well.

I have the original version of the CS Italian. They later released a version with less blade and more grip in order to give it a better balance, but still I prefer mine because its proportions are more similar to the Ringeck.

Do you have cutting videos? It would be great to see some pictures of your swords.

I do not have cutting videos yet, maybe next year. My only cutting practices have been with a large, 24-inch blade machete that I got for the equivalent of like five dollars here years ago, and I have also cut some soft targets with my first aluminum sword. I cannot wait to get the ATC and start cutting again.

Which is your favorite sword, from all the swords that you have?

 

[DMThaane]

I don't own any swords partially due to cost and partially due to weapon restrictions where I live but I'm definitely a sword fan and know a few people in reenactment and the SCA. I've seen a lot of positive talk about Albion and a lot of people think they're the best production line swords around. If I was to buy it would probably be from them, even with the pain of bringing it into the country. I used the Albion Chevalier as the basis for one of my character's swords and the Brescia Spadona for another.

I also spend an inordinate amount of time on this site:

TEMPL: Smithy - News

Which has perhaps the best 'bling' swords I've ever seen. His interpretations of the Sutton Hoo sword are particularly beautiful but he has a pretty great range of time periods. Swords fit for a king... and with the price to match.

 

[Sheilawisz]

Hello Thaane!

The link that you posted does not work for some reason. I'll try to fix it for you, so please do not be surprised if you see a note stating edited by sheilawisz at the bottom of your post.

Do you live at the Czech Republic?

Albions are indeed incredible, but apart from the high cost there is a problem with them at least according to some people: The steel that they use in their swords has certain properties that allow them to be very similar in weight, balance and handling to the original swords from centuries ago, but this also means that they are more delicate than other modern swords out there.

Cold Steel swords are known for being great as backyard cutters that you can have fun with all day long, and you do not have to worry much about their steel and their sharpness. Albion swords are great cutters too and their balance is supreme, but they are supposed to receive much more care and maintenance than a CS sword for example.

Knowing this, I think that an Albion is not for me even in case that I could afford it.

The Albion Ringeck would probably cost something in the order of 2700 usd to me, actually more expensive than purchasing a decent car. If I had that sword I would keep it locked inside a wooden container or something, never to be used and regarded as some kind of treasure that very few people would be allowed to see and let alone touch.

I'll stay with Cold Steel!

 

[DMThaane]

Hello Thaane!

The link that you posted does not work for some reason. I'll try to fix it for you, so please do not be surprised if you see a note stating edited by sheilawisz at the bottom of your post.

Strange, thought I tested that. Thanks for cleaning it up.

Do you live at the Czech Republic?

Australia, actually, so importing anything can be a pain. There are local options if I wanted something cheaper and without hassle but I'd need a license anyway so if I did go through the effort it would be to go big. Besides, even though I don't personally own a sword I share a roof with three of them so access isn't a problem.

Albions are indeed incredible, but apart from the high cost there is a problem with them at least according to some people: The steel that they use in their swords has certain properties that allow them to be very similar in weight, balance and handling to the original swords from centuries ago, but this also means that they are more delicate than other modern swords out there.

Cold Steel swords are known for being great as backyard cutters that you can have fun with all day long, and you do not have to worry much about their steel and their sharpness. Albion swords are great cutters too and their balance is supreme, but they are supposed to receive much more care and maintenance than a CS sword for example.

I wouldn't be surprised if some of this is down to perception. If you spend that much money on something you'll pay closer attention and handle it a bit more gingerly. I've seen one or two posts on sword forums from people who have aged their Albion and most would simply never take the risk, even if they wouldn't think twice with a Cold Steel. That said, Albion does use a different steel after switching from what I believe was 1070 some years back, so I'm not sure what effect that might've had.

Knowing this, I think that an Albion is not for me even in case that I could afford it.

The Albion Ringeck would probably cost something in the order of 2700 usd to me, actually more expensive than purchasing a decent car. If I had that sword I would keep it locked inside a wooden container or something, never to be used and regarded as some kind of treasure that very few people would be allowed to see and let alone touch.

I'll stay with Cold Steel!

A lot of this will always come down to personal preference and I think it's a great thing that the market can serve such varied needs. I'm not old enough or involved enough to remember the bad old days of crappy steel, criminally loose fittings, and rat-tail tangs that grace so many horror stories but as someone who's passionate about history its great to see how much the market has evolved. There's nothing wrong with a cheap cutter, an expensive showpiece, or even an unbalanced fantasy blade. It's only a problem when people don't have the choice.

 

[Russ]

Great, the Swords Club is starting to have some life!

Thinker: My Aluminum swordmaking craft has been halted for a long time, since I was causing considerable damage to my hands by doing that and it was quite frustrating to spend so much time working on a single sword. I am analyzing the possibility of acquiring a powerful machine that would do most of the work for me, though... maybe next year.

My Aluminum swords were never meant to have a wooden grip, the idea was just to wrap the handle with leather.

I am happy to tell you that my friend Angélica recently defended herself with the sword that I made for her, against a wild dog in the forest where she lives. I am not sure how injured the dog was, but the sword worked fine and I was really happy and satisfied to hear her account of the story.

In case anybody is interested, you can find my Aluminum Swordmaking thread right here!

Russ: I often visit the Albion swords site, just to stare at the pictures of all those beautiful and finely designed swords.

Do you have an Albion Ringeck? There are few reviews of it online, and I have not found a single cutting video with the Ringeck. What a sword, it's like the sword of my dreams... That's pretty much the style of sword that my characters have in my stories, even though the CS Italian Longsword is a look-alike as well.

I have the original version of the CS Italian. They later released a version with less blade and more grip in order to give it a better balance, but still I prefer mine because its proportions are more similar to the Ringeck.

Do you have cutting videos? It would be great to see some pictures of your swords.

I do not have cutting videos yet, maybe next year. My only cutting practices have been with a large, 24-inch blade machete that I got for the equivalent of like five dollars here years ago, and I have also cut some soft targets with my first aluminum sword. I cannot wait to get the ATC and start cutting again.

Which is your favorite sword, from all the swords that you have?

The ringeck is indeed in my collection. I am quite fond of it.

I have done all my cutting with AEMMA, and they video quite a lot of stuff. God knows if they have posted videos of me or not.

My favourite sword is a little aluminum spada, or arming sword, I have, made by Charles Jevons at Swordcrafts, that I have used in training and fighting, and hitting that damned pell for years. It is not pretty, it is plenty worn, but I have had just so much fun with it and done so many fights with it, it feels like an old friend. The wooden handle is wrapped in old tennis grip tape from Prince, so I call the sword Prince.

 

[Sheilawisz]

Australia?

That must really be a serious obstacle to the importation of swords that come from distant countries. The shipment costs alone must be huge, sorry to hear that, Thaane. What I find really annoying is that you would need a license to own a sword there, that is very limiting and sad at least in my opinion.

Here in Mexico, swords are considered a military-grade weapon but that only applies to the Importation rules.

I am not sure what tricks are used by my importing agent (you need a special permit from the Army in order to import swords, as far as I know) but once the paperwork is done, he is free to send swords by ordinary Package Delivery services and we sword fans here can own our treasures without any regulation.

Curiously, giant machetes capable of slicing off a leg are dirt cheap here and anybody can purchase them freely because they are considered tools. It's curious sometimes, how the laws work. Anyway, in case that you want to own a functional blade that would probably be free of license-requirement, you could get a machete.

That's what I did, and I learned to cut water bottles with one.

After all, machetes are pretty similar to the Medieval swords known as Falchions. Sure they are ugly, and they lack the historical magic and they are something that the Orcs would use, but they get the work done. Some machetes can have a blade as long as 60 or 70 centimeters plus the handle, so that's something to be reckoned with.

Few things as satisfying as slicing a water bottle so well that the bottom part stays there, it feels incredible...

I agree that owning a super expensive and fine sword causes the person that owns it to treat the blade in question with unusual care and love. At least, that's what is happening to me with my CS Italian... Now that I re-calculated the cost, I actually ended up paying 600usd for it and not 500.

And here it is, beautiful and sacred, having cut nothing but some paper and cardboard so far... That would be another point for the giant machete: They are so cheap, that you do not care about any damage that they might suffer.

Russ: Congratulations on owning an Albion Ringeck! Wow, that sword is a piece of dreams. What could you tell us about its balance, speed and cutting power?

Is it possible to wield it with one hand and still be comfortable with it?

I came across Charles Jevons' site a long time ago, while I was researching Aluminun Swordmaking for my project. I know that his work is superb and his aluminum blades are well-appreciated in the HEMA community. If I recall correctly, his swords are made from 7075-T6 aluminum which is the best aluminum alloy for blades.

My blades are made from the more commonly available 6061, but I hope to make some with 7075 in case I manage to get my hands on it.

Are you interested in Bronze swords? Some years ago I was obsessed with obtaining one of those Ewart Park blades made by Neil Burridge at Cornwall, England. I still want one, but again the cost is prohibitive. Neil's swords are very historically-accurate, even more historical than Albions because he makes them by means of Bronze Age techniques just like they were made back then.

I think that they would be a great addition to your swords collection.

I see that you love history, so I recommend you a travel to the city of Santiago de Querétaro here in Mexico. The city is very modern, but its historic center is so full of historical magic that it's really breathtaking.

There is a little but very friendly museum (among so many others) about the Mexican Empire War, and in there you can see authentic guns, cannon balls and swords from said war which took place during the 1860's.

The Cavalry sabers there are very rusty, but just by looking at them you can feel history alive at the other side of the glass.

 

[Russ]

Russ: Congratulations on owning an Albion Ringeck! Wow, that sword is a piece of dreams. What could you tell us about its balance, speed and cutting power?

Is it possible to wield it with one hand and still be comfortable with it?

I came across Charles Jevons' site a long time ago, while I was researching Aluminun Swordmaking for my project. I know that his work is superb and his aluminum blades are well-appreciated in the HEMA community. If I recall correctly, his swords are made from 7075-T6 aluminum which is the best aluminum alloy for blades.

My blades are made from the more commonly available 6061, but I hope to make some with 7075 in case I manage to get my hands on it.

Interesting questions. I love both the estethic and balance of the Ringneck. I have slightly shorter arms than I might like and I find that both the point of balance and point of percussion are perfectly placed for me. If you were long and gangly you might find them just a tad too far forward.

With regards to speed I find it slices through the air and is very quick, but that length really works for me.

Can it be used one handed? Sure, for cutting figures or showing off. But if I was in a fight I would never even think about using it one handed. It is just not as strong or precise and reduces so many things you can do I think wielding it one handed would put you at a significant disadvantage.

The question about cutting is an intriguing one. I think it works fine as a cutter, but let me give you a caveat on that. I am probably what you might call an average cutter on water bottles, pig carcasses and wet bamboo. From my perspective the sword is not the problem or the determining factor of cutting ability. At my level I think the skill and technique of the swordsman makes all the difference in cutting, and the sword is not a big factor. Now if you were talking to a very accomplished cutter he/she may have a different perspective.

I am sure bronze would be interesting, but I structure my collection around various books on sword fighting or military theory in history that I am fond of. So I have a spada to match the Flower of Battle one hand techniques by Fiore dei Liberi and the I 33, and I have the Ringeck to match Ringeck, and a gladius for De Re Militara etc.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

Here is my small offering. This is a movie replica sword from The Mask of Zorro that I've owned for about 20 years. She's not edged but she is very pointy.

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[SaltyDog]

The closest thing I have to a sword is a rusted and chipped hunk of a blade, once called a machete. Now it's as dull as heck, and it'll probably stay that way for the ages to come lol.

 

[Sheilawisz]

Hey Lowan!

It's good to see you around. That Zorro sword that you have belongs to the Rapier class I think, which means a sword with a very thin blade more suitable for thrusting than cutting. Do you know if it's made from carbon steel, or stainless? I ask because many swords from movies are stainless, and should not be used to stab or cut a target.

That style of sword has its charm, but I prefer the longsword =)

I have machetes too, Salty. I think that they are great for backyard cutting, especially because they are cheap and we do not have to worry about causing any damage to them. You should search for images of the medieval swords called Falchions: Some of them look exactly like a modern machete, except that they have a cross guard!

Here is a pretty cool video of what a well-sharpened machete can do:

[video=youtube_share;vwo21onSeDw]https://youtu.be/vwo21onSeDw[/video]

What do you think of longswords?

Russ: Thanks for that great post, I see that I have much more to learn about swords and techniques. I know that the skill is crucial in cutting, because if you do not align the edge correctly according to the motion of the strike then you merely hit the target instead of cutting through it.

When I started with the water bottles, I sent many of them flying almost into the neighbor's backyard...

I would like to ask you something: What kind of oil do you use to protect your swords from rusting? I have heard that the oil (or grease?) is very important, but I have never done that with my blades. My CS Italian has not developed any rust at all since I got it back in July 2015, and my machetes remain rust-free as well despite the heavy use that they have been through.

Maybe it's because where I live the air is very thin and super dry (approx. elevation 2400 meters), but anyway sometimes I think that I should be using the oil or grease thing like others recommend. How do you do it? Do you just apply the oil to the blade, and then it goes into its scabbard with oil and everything?

Do you have the Albion Knecht Kriegsmesser?

 

[A. E. Lowan]

Hey Lowan!

It's good to see you around. That Zorro sword that you have belongs to the Rapier class I think, which means a sword with a very thin blade more suitable for thrusting than cutting. Do you know if it's made from carbon steel, or stainless? I ask because many swords from movies are stainless, and should not be used to stab or cut a target.

That style of sword has its charm, but I prefer the longsword =)

I think she's just stainless steel. It's just a movie replica, which means she's totally fake. Pretty girl, but definitely not combat ready.

Honestly, I'm a fan of both rapiers and longswords. They both have their distinctive virtues. Very pretty and shiny, as well. Got to love the shinies. lol

 

[Malik]

I got a warsword for Christmas. Meet "Mr. Snappy."

This is a Windlass German Bastard sword, a reproduction of piece #477 of the Wallace Collection, c.1510.

The blade is about the length of an arming sword at 30" although it has enough room for two hands at the handle. The blade is wide for its size, and has a lenticular cross-section for the first half of its length, changing to a diamond cross-section at the distal end, which adds mass to the center of percussion. This sword is insanely heavy for its size, at just over 4 lbs. It's made from a combination of 1065 and 1095 high-carbon steels with a full tang and a peened pommel. The quillons and double-ring guard are iron, authentic to the Late 15th Century, and give it some of its mass, as does the huge iron "scent-stopper" pommel.

One of the quillons got bent in shipping but it gives it street cred. I am not crazy about the sheen of the blade -- I would have preferred it more rough-forged -- but this was a gift and I am insanely happy with it.

The short blade and heavy guard have an interesting effect on the kinetics of the weapon. It swings with one hand just fine, but levered with the left hand on the pommel it's a super-fast sword with tremendous power. It's much -- not faster, but snappier -- than a heavy warsword of the same weight with a longer blade and smaller guard. I'm really happy with it. I kind of wish it wasn't sharp so that I could spar with it.

 

[Steerpike]

Stormbringer. Don't know how practical it is, but given the soul-drinking feature that probably doesn't matter so much.

 

[Malik]

I'm generally not big on fantasy blades, but that's sexy.

 

[Steerpike]

I'm generally not big on fantasy blades, but that's sexy.

Yeah...so many fantasy blades are overwrought to the point of being silly.