Sword Preference?

[dwayne davis]

Cool i did remember it ( kinda right). you gotta admit sword and sheild does make sense when youre going up against an enemy thats no stranger to arrows and throwing spears. { edit, its time for me to re read it too}

[Aaron]

Oh yes, definitely time for a reread soon, I haven't read them since high school (been a solid 8 years). The shield makes sense, I guess I always pictured the broken bit to be longer than it would have actually been, so I assumed the full sword was naturally much longer. I don't doubt that the film also somewhat influenced my view.

[Fallsofdragon]

I have very much enjoyed reading this thread and so in regards OP and the general theme, I will offer my choice to question posed, from my armory, yes it is a large sword at 3 lbs. 10 oz. and 4 feet long with 38" of sharp carbon steel,
High Elven King, #057 of 200 as produced by Gen2 Legacy Arms as special production for Arms of Valor
I like the way this sword handles and performs for me, with the sort of enemies of Middle Earth in mind, but I very much like the other preferences referenced by other Rangers, so my choice shall be my burden ... yet also my
Ranger Arm to wield.
I have some alternates though, as in second picture

[Alvin]

Another sword that I believe is appropriate for Ranger use is my Gus Trim AT1211. It is longer than the ATrim shortsword that I posted a couple pages back, but is still short, light - a tad over 2 pounds - and very powerful in the cut - not so much in the thrust.



The blade is a 27.75 x 2 inch Petersen Type X. Under the influence of ¨baskethilt fever¨, I later had Darkwood Armory install one of their early English baskethilts. Darkwood did a great job on the conversion. It was necessary for Darkwood to extend the 1211´s tang to fit the baskethilt, so changing the ATrim´s dimensions there.



After receiving the Darkwood conversion, I did a little experimenting with hilt components - one of the great, and fun things about Gus´swords, other than his super quality blades. I attached a guard from a VA Castille sword; the grip that came with the AT1211 and; and used the pommel and pommel nut from the Darkwood baskethilt, which is basically a Petersen Type ¨R¨. In hand it felt great. I really came to appreciate the spherical Type ¨R¨pommel - it allowed easy, unobstructed hand movement when putting the sword ¨through it´s paces¨.



Though I dearly love the modified 1211 baskethilt version, it is a bit un-Tolkien for our purposes. But in it´s original configuration or post-Darkwood with the VA guard and Type ¨R¨pommel, I think that it would do with a targe or even a buckler.

[R.D.Metcalf]

Here are my two swords a type XIV and a type XVIa both were custom made by Micheal Pikula to my own specs. Both of these weapons are representative of both my taste in hilt furniture as well as my preference in blade typology. I want, at some point, to commission another two hander hilted similarly to the Albion Caithness with the far more versatile XVIa blade but as it stands now I'm too damned broke to pay attention let alone pay for another custom sword....But I'm spoiled now, only custom will do. I will not buy another production sword. My money comes hard, and I want what *I* want not what someone else wants to make.

[Manveruon]

I love the look of that first one. I especially like the Norman hilt design. Very good looking piece.

I think if I were ever going to get myself a really nice sword I'd want something similar to the Albion "Squire" (http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m7/L ... Squire.jpg and http://img67.imageshack.us/img67/8687/img0899.jpg) with antiqued parts, brown leather for the hilt, and a very slightly blued/antiqued blade, possibly with some motto or such etched along the fuller. I love the way the Squire looks, overall. Simple, effective, and nicely balanced, proportionally speaking. I am quite fond of the pommel, as well as the several plain horizontal risers along the grip. However, I'd probably choose a slightly earlier period blade than the one it comes with - something without such a long, pronounced point, but hopefully still enough to deliver a decent thrust.

But sadly, like you, I'm in no financial state to even consider something like this at the moment.

[deadextra]

@Manveruon
About the thrust of an early sword compared to a later one, check out this video, starting about 2:10. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0593o7jlPTk

[Manveruon]

Definitely an interesting video! It doesn't actually go into the results of the cuts and thrusts until the next Youtube segment, but in that one it's interesting to note how similarly the Saxon design, and the late Medieval design performed. Personally, I love the look of the Albion Squire blade, long narrow point and all, but since outside of the Ranger thing I tend to gravitate towards the turn of the 13th century as "my period," I think an earlier design would suit best.

On another note, the demonstrations of Talhoffer methods of fighting, using the pommel and crossguard, etc. are really cool! I SO wish they would include some of that in a movie some day. They touched on it briefly in Kingdom of Heaven when Godfrey brings the crossguard up to Balien's face and says "The blade is not the only part of a sword," but I think that's the most I've ever seen done. Pommel and crossguard strikes, as well as using the crossguard to hook the legs of an opponent could be really cool to see in an expertly choreographed film fight.

[Alvin]

While not necessarily my preference in a sword, I saw this piece by Petr Florianek in a MyArmoury post and thought it unique looking as well as appearing to be a practical shortsword. To my poor eyes, it looks to be a commission work by a Dwarven ´smith.

http://gullinbursti.cz/index.php?lang=e ... item&id=43

[R.D.Metcalf]

Manveruon,

I have seen type XVI/ XII hybrids, they did exist historically. These blades feature a shorter point section and will be thrustier than a Xa,XI, XII. Earlier swords generally geared to the cut predominantly had lenticular cross sections rather than the diamond cross sections seen later making the blade more rigid in a thrust. I am of the opinion that comparing a saxon sword to a later type is apples and oranges and while thrusting techniques can be accomplished with earlier types the technique will not be as efficient due to the lack of rigidity in the blade and the more blunt point seen on historical blades of the earlier period.

[Ringulf]

While not necessarily my preference in a sword, I saw this piece by Petr Florianek in a MyArmoury post and thought it unique looking as well as appearing to be a practical shortsword. To my poor eyes, it looks to be a commission work by a Dwarven ´smith.

http://gullinbursti.cz/index.php?lang=e ... item&id=43

Alvin as you may have predicted, this one peaked my interest!
It is very clever and very well made!

I ended up scouring his site for pictures and ideas like a swarm of creative locusts! (Picked it to the bones man!)

Thank you for posting this one!!

[Manveruon]

Manveruon,

I have seen type XVI/ XII hybrids, they did exist historically. These blades feature a shorter point section and will be thrustier than a Xa,XI, XII. Earlier swords generally geared to the cut predominantly had lenticular cross sections rather than the diamond cross sections seen later making the blade more rigid in a thrust. I am of the opinion that comparing a saxon sword to a later type is apples and oranges and while thrusting techniques can be accomplished with earlier types the technique will not be as efficient due to the lack of rigidity in the blade and the more blunt point seen on historical blades of the earlier period.

Good info! thanks!

[Rhys ap Ieuan]

It's an unconventional choice, but for trekking without a pack animal, where I'm not planning a fight (but am always expecting one) I like this Messer/falchion mix.


Despite the huge blade width, it's light and quick, and small enough to not hang up on every bush, while being a serious chopper for camp tasks. I just got it, so I haven't been able to test the theory out in the woods or in camp, but hopefully will get to soon.

[Southwind]

My Tramontina machete - cost less than $10 new, as I recall. Mine has some twine wrapping on the grip to improve comfort. It's not pretty or elegant, but plenty functional. I can't speak to its effectiveness in battle - the point isn't much good for thrusting - but it's certainly good at slaying shrubs, making sticks into stakes, and cutting big squashes and melons in half. I could probably grind the point into a better thrusting point if I wanted, without much affecting its chop-and-hack utility, but as I don't have a grinder this hasn't happened.

Maybe one day I'll get an actual shortsword. I have a longsword, but it's too big for a Ranger sword, and anyway I'd have to build a lot of arm strength in order to wield it well.

[BrianGrubbs]

My Tramontina machete - cost less than $10 new, as I recall. Mine has some twine wrapping on the grip to improve comfort. It's not pretty or elegant, but plenty functional. I can't speak to its effectiveness in battle - the point isn't much good for thrusting - but it's certainly good at slaying shrubs, making sticks into stakes, and cutting big squashes and melons in half. I could probably grind the point into a better thrusting point if I wanted, without much affecting its chop-and-hack utility, but as I don't have a grinder this hasn't happened.

Maybe one day I'll get an actual shortsword. I have a longsword, but it's too big for a Ranger sword, and anyway I'd have to build a lot of arm strength in order to wield it well.

You can do a lot of work on a Tramontina with just a file. I've reprofiled the edge on mine with little trouble at all, and I think it shouldn't be to hard to rework the tip if you're willing to take the time. If you just file a false edge on the back of the tip for about four inches from the tip it will make a huge difference in the thrusting capabilities.

Brian