Darksword Armory Norman sword rebuild (WIP)

[caedmon]

So if anyone is curious. This sword is my beef with Darksword Armory.

I bought if about ten years ago, and liked it for about a week, and then it broke in my hand when I was simply swinging it around. And that's haw I learned about rattail tangs and bad welds.

Anyway it sat in the back of my garage for ages until I pulled it out last summer and started working on it again. I chopped it down about 8 inches, cut a new tang, and drilled out and filed hole in the pommel for the new wider tang. The grip has been reprofiled to have a decidedly 15th c. look. Its an anachronism but I'm just playing around with this one. It's 38" long, weighs about 3 lbs and handles like a crowbar. Don't ask me about COP or distal taper as I never got those in the first place.

I built the scabbard using the sandwich method and covered it using the Peter Johnson directions that are floating around out there. When finished it will have the classic 12th c. Split belt hanging system.

**I was going to upload some pics, but I seem to have run into the issues that Michael was having earlier. I'll put them up later **

[mcapanelli]

Would you be so kind as to examine the old tang (what's left of it) for any markings and if you find some take a picture and send it to me?

[mcapanelli]

I can guarantee there's no distal tapering on your sword. In fact it may have reverse distal tapering, starting out thin at the guard and getting progressively thicker towards the tip. The new swords (the last year or so) are starting to exhibit proper mass distribution but still have a way to go before they catch up with the H/T line or Valiant Armory offerings.