Lukas MG

Thanks for the comments, glad you like it! @Dan Hertzson No, I cheated and welded it together out of 5 parts with a total of 4 welds.

Hi guys, I recently finished this Italian sidesword. Making a complex hilts like this was a first for me, hats off to all who do more of these, they really are a bit of a pain to make and this isn't even a particularly complex one! Stats: Overall length: 104cm Blade length: 90cm Blade width: 3,6cm PoB: 15cm in front of guard, 11cm in front of finger rings CoP: 61cm / 57cm Weight: 1130g Sideswords are very interesting swords. They combine a long and slender blade that would not be uncommon on a late medieval arming sword with a complex hilt that already shows the development towards much more protective hilts. The fencing style shown in sources like Achille Marozzo’s treatise (1536) mirrors this with aspects of both the earlier as well as later period fencing sources. Dynamically, this sword with its complex hilts offers excellent point control as well as a flowing and inviting presence in the cut. The 90cm long blade features a non-linear distal taper, keeping it suitably stiff for very effective thrusts as well as making the point light and nimble. The blade retains enough width all the way up to the point to allow for effective cutting actions with the entire edge. Overall, this sword manages to be very well balanced between cut and thrust without seemingly sacrificing much on either part. The fittings are fire blackened which aside from its aesthetic value offers a degree of rust protection, quite useful on a piece where fingering the guard is the common way of holding the sword. The slight ricasso at the blade’s base features rounded edges to make this practice comfortable. I'm quite happy with how this piece turned out, especially the handling characteristics are very intriguing and from the perspective of a historical fencer I really appreciate how versatile this weapon is. It can be used alone, with a dagger in the off hand or a buckler, a rotella, etc. And we have written fencing treatises for all these combinations! I hope you like it.

I haven't seen any originals of this size close up and only maker later period swords but from a sword-making point of view, I think that at this length, without distal taper it would handle about as well as a crowbar. I wouldn't mind the distal taper you have. It will still be a very blade-positive chopper.

Thanks guys, glad you like them!

Hi guys, I haven't been active here for a while but I have not stopped sword making! Here are my latest two pieces, a XVIIIc longsword and a cutlass with a dark twist... First up the XVIIIc. It is inspired by the swords from the Alexandrian arsenal. Large, imposing and about as a fearsome a cutter as you can get (with longswords anyway). Stats: Overall length: 114cm Blade length: 87,5cm Blade width: 7,6cm Weight: 1770g PoB: 10cm CoP: ca 60cm Forward Pivot point: at tip Next up: a black cutlass! I was inspired to make this piece from one of Matt Easton’s Cutlass videos. I prefer handy and substantial swords when it comes to single handers and in a way, a cutlass is like an improved version of a Messer. I was in a somewhat dark mood when working on this and I believe it shows… The entire piece emanates a feeling of dark power. It’s a handy piece and moves easily but it is very powerful for its size. The blade is full 8mm thick at the base, with a strong concave distal taper (the only proper way to make a sabre). The blade is acid etched and I also left some scale from HT on the spine. The guard is actually an original late 19th/early 20th century piece from a much-used austrian practice sabre. It shows much superficial wear but is perfectly sound structurally. After some blackening, I think it fits the blade perfectly. The grip is covered in old black leather. Stats: weight: 1000g blade length: 70cm overall length: 84cm PoB: 11cm That cutlass is about the perfect zombie/apocalypse/BoB weapon in my eyes...

Thanks guys. No plans yet for a scabbard. Don't really like making those...

The guard was forged but not the blade, I generally only do stock removal on sword blades. The key to getting good bevels is grinding on a large enought platen. I actually do most of my grinding (after getting the basic geometry with the angle grinder) lengthwise on a 30cm Long platen. That way you can really get flat bevels, somethings that's very, very hard to do over a long blade if you only grind across the belt as many knife makers do. Daggers are easier of course, being much shorter. If you forge, I'd forge thick and grind thin, at least in the beginning. More material to correct things that way.

Thanks guys. Joshua: it's right there on the blade. The sunlight makes it a bit hard to make out.

Hi guys, just finished up this piece: Stats: Overall length: 87cm Blade length: 72cm Blade width at base: 4.7cm PoB: 13cm CoP: ca 46cm weight: 905g This handy little sword is based on late medieval XVIII single handers. Wide and thin bladed, with acute edges and a fine point, it offers excellent cutting and thrusting capabilities. Though stiff enough to be used in armored combat, it is at its best in unarmored fighting, ideally in combination with a buckler. The low overall weight combined with a very pleasant balance make this a very agile weapon. From an aesthetic point of view, clear ridges and sweeping curves dominate. The guard tapers to almost sharp ends, mirroring the wide and thin blade. The blade is of diamond cross section, with the central ridge following on through the handle. The fire blackened fittings and dark red leather give the sword a somewhat sinister appereance. I'm quite happy with it, I hope you like it, too Cheers, Lukas

Thanks, guys. I took the Messer out for a quick spin today, lacking a proper cutting stand at my new workshop I only cut a few bottles. But damn, that thing cuts like crazy! I expected excellent cutting performance but I was still surprised by how absolutely effortlessly and cleanly it cut. Looking forward to trying something more substantial.

Thanks guys, glad you like it. @Charles du Preez I couldn't really say. I think they are more common on straighter blades but I'm sure there is a really curved one out there with a clipped back as well.

It's finished... a few words about it, you may find it interesting. If not, just look at the pics The Langes Messer was a very popular weapon in 15th century Germanic regions, due to its handiness often used as a sidearm and though nowadays often associated with people from lower classes of society, it was in fact carried by members of nobility as well. There are several surviving fencing manuals concerning the use of the Langes Messer and it is quite a popular weapon in modern HEMA. From a swordmaker‘s view, Messer are very interesting weapon dynamically. They are self-reliant in the way that they don‘t really need pommels, they balance themselves out largely by careful mass distribution in the blade and the (wide) tang. They also are quite complex to make and a lot of time is spent carefully fitting all parts together. Stats: Overall length: 84,5cm Blade length: 66cm Blade width at base: 4cm PoB: 13,5cm CoP: ca 48cm Weight: 830g As is obvious from the stats, this is a light and compact weapon. The Messer does have a good amount of blade presence but it never feels unwieldy. It flows and turns effortlessly through cuts and thrusts, with a pleasant forward pull in the hand, inviting to be moved. The point can be controlled easily and tracks well. By design, this weapon has every characteristic of a very capable cutter: a wide, thin and slightly curved blade with a long single bevel and acute edges. It is also a surprisingly good thruster. Because of its short length and the single-edged design with a blunt spine, the blade is quite stiff, despite its thinness. The clip point and sharpened false edge make for a very acute point that easily penetrates soft targets and allow for techniques that utilise the short edge, an important aspect of Messer fencing. While Messer probably were most common in civilian settings, they did also see use in military contexts. To reflect this and enable use against harder targets (armor for example) the point, though slender, is quite robust. The hilt assembly is typical for Lange Messer, featuring a short guard, pierced by the Nagel, and scales riveted to the full tang. The pommel cap is peened over a peen block. Overall one of the most secure and durable hilt constructions. Aesthetically, the Messer gives the impression of an unadorned, very much business-oriented piece of equipment. I had considered adding file-work but decided not to and let the in my eyes quite organic and flowing shapes speak for themselves, with slight accentuation by brass elements. Messer, more than most other sword designs, have a certain viciousness to them. At least to my eyes... They are elegant, very thoughfully designed weapons but while a slender XVIIIb longsword manages to hide its martial purpose behind a slim, innocent seaming facade, the Messer cannot be mistaken for anything but a brutally efficient killing instrument. I might perhaps liken it to a big cat like a panther... even just harmlessly sitting somewhere, there always is a certain feeling of imminent danger.

Very true... it has something of a sleeping lion, harmlessly sitting there but there is a feeling of danger nonetheless. Very few other sword design have left a similar impression on me. Or with the words of Hans Talhoffer, who wrote a fencing manual about these things in the 15th century: "Here they fight with Messer - May God remember them."

Decided to go with a satin finish. All parts of the Messer are ready to be polished. That'll be fun...

Thanks, guys More progress... The blade is now ground to final shape, the guard fitted and drilled to accept the Nagel. Work on the handle scales has also begun. The messer has started to come alive in hand. All current components together weigh 860g, the final weight won't be far off from that. I must say, I'm really excited with how this piece is coming together I still haven't decided what finish to give the guard and pommel cap... I'm tempted to blacken them as I did on the Bowie. Or I might try some forced antiquing, the above mentioned method from Walter Sorrells looks good. Or a plain, honest satin finish? Hmm... The peening of the Nagel will complicate things a bit, I will need to apply the same or a very similar finish to the peened end after assembly...