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Starter blade


MadJack

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I might recommend a period blade of a very basic style ...First off stay away from anything made from stainless steel or with skull and cross bones all over it (Advertising like that would have gotten you hung) :lol:

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All of these are period and with high carbon steel blades and less than $100

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Agreed with Callenish. Except perhaps on the last one. The cup-hilt cutlass is a later design, and besides, it seems like tons of people carry them. Another one I've seen recently is a really cool clamshell hilt cutlass that this guy is selling through No Quarter Given for around $75. I don't know how to contact him directly, but you can talk to NQG about it.

And there's also my own blade, which is a French officer's sword. It's built like a smallsword, but with a wider blade, and thus better for chopping instead of just thrusting. I like it because it's a straight, double-edged affair, and therefore a little different than what most pirates are carrying. The link to where I got it is here: http://raystownforge.com/tabid/57/CategoryID/4/ProductID/27/Default.aspx

Captain Jack McCool, landlocked pirate extraordinaire, Captain of the dreaded prairie schooner Ill Repute, etc. etc.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"That’s what a ship is, you know. It’s not just a keel, and a hull, and a deck, and sails. That’s what a ship needs. But what a ship is… what the Black Pearl really is… is freedom."

-Captain Jack Sparrow

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Another one I've seen recently is a really cool clamshell hilt cutlass that this guy is selling through No Quarter Given for around $75. I don't know how to contact him directly, but you can talk to NQG about it.

Does anyone have a picture of this one?

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The cupped hilt is Dutch from the mid 1600's it is what was the basis for the American 1860 naval cutlass.

Really? I think we'd all be very interested in seeing some period evidence for that.

Foxe

"With this Fore-Staff he fansies he does Wonders, when, God knows, it amounts to no more but only to solve that simple Question, Where are we? Which every chi'd in London can tell you." - Ned Ward The Wooden World Dissected, 1707


ETFox.co.uk

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Interesting. Can you recall which museum in Dordrecht?

Since it's a style which to my knowledge appears in no surviving Dutch art from the period, nor in any other collection of arms that I've ever seen, I'm rather intrigued.

Foxe

"With this Fore-Staff he fansies he does Wonders, when, God knows, it amounts to no more but only to solve that simple Question, Where are we? Which every chi'd in London can tell you." - Ned Ward The Wooden World Dissected, 1707


ETFox.co.uk

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I did some sketches and took notes in the museum because they didn't allow photographs while I spent several months in the city in 2002...I don't recall the exact name of the museum, it was a seafarers museum, but I can try to find it from my friend who lives a few blocks away from it. I'll see what I can research

Edited by callenish gunner
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I did some sketches and took notes in the museum because they didn't allow photographs while I spent several months in the city in 2002...I don't recall the exact name of the museum, it was a seafarers museum, but I can try to find it from my friend who lives a few blocks away from it. I'll see what I can research

Please do if you have the time! They may even have a catalogue with photographs if we know which museum to contact.

Foxe

"With this Fore-Staff he fansies he does Wonders, when, God knows, it amounts to no more but only to solve that simple Question, Where are we? Which every chi'd in London can tell you." - Ned Ward The Wooden World Dissected, 1707


ETFox.co.uk

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I'd say that the first one that Cal posted would be what I would go with if I was trying to get something under 100. Simple design that works well with almost everything. I have seen a few reviews on that sword that lead me to say that it is decent and wont fall apart.

It depends on what your going to do with said sword too. If it is just hanging on your hip and nothing else then your options are many. If you are fighting with it then your options are few.

I personaly cant stand that shiney brass pieces like what Cal posted 2nd. Looks cheap to me. If you go with that then I would suggest dulling the shine down a bit.

I personaly would never buy a sword without knowing what the tang looks like and the material of the blade.

 

-1st Mate of Pirates Magazine

-Bladesmith/Owner of That Works Studio

http://youtube.com/thatworks

thatworks.shop

 

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I'd say that the first one that Cal posted would be what I would go with if I was trying to get something under 100. Simple design that works well with almost everything. I have seen a few reviews on that sword that lead me to say that it is decent and wont fall apart.

It depends on what your going to do with said sword too. If it is just hanging on your hip and nothing else then your options are many. If you are fighting with it then your options are few.

I personaly cant stand that shiney brass pieces like what Cal posted 2nd. Looks cheap to me. If you go with that then I would suggest dulling the shine down a bit.

I personaly would never buy a sword without knowing what the tang looks like and the material of the blade.

Matt, I am particularly enamored with the sword shown in your signature banner. Can you tell us a bit more about it? Is it a cuttoe or hunting sword by chance? :lol:

While I think that some of the fancier blades such as the clamshells and such are extremely beautiful works of art, I am personally more drawn to the simpler, utilitarian weapons. My current sword is a simple hand forged hanger of the American colonial style... :P

Edited by Captain Midnight

"Now then, me bullies! Would you rather do the gallows dance, and hang in chains 'til the crows pluck your eyes from your rotten skulls? Or would you feel the roll of a stout ship beneath your feet again?"

---Captain William Kidd---

(1945)

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I'd say that the first one that Cal posted would be what I would go with if I was trying to get something under 100. Simple design that works well with almost everything. I have seen a few reviews on that sword that lead me to say that it is decent and wont fall apart.

That sword has been discussed here before. It can be had for well under $100. It will not fall apart - the one hanging on my wall is close to 1/4" at the spine. It's a heavy, unwieldy beast.

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Matt, the brass on those hilts dulls and ages fairly quickly to a soft golden luster. The use of a Scotch-brite pad on the brass speeds up the dulling process

Foxe, I have inquiries out to 2 of the museums that I visited in 2001 in Dordrecht, NL; one, the Huis van Gijn only had a small collection of Arms in a marshal display on the stairway but I don't recall if that was the place where I did the sketches. My lady friend told me that one of the museums has burned in 2005-6 I also toured the Legermuseum in Delft and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam which also had large arms collections and several other small museums. I'm trying to retrace my tours to get all the info I can to track down that sort of cutlass. I also contacted Blair @ Loyalist Arms who carries the sword I posted; he told me that the documentation he has for it was verbal from textual descriptions and he gave me additional leads about the swords. I will continue to research into this type blade.

Edited by callenish gunner
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I'd say that the first one that Cal posted would be what I would go with if I was trying to get something under 100. Simple design that works well with almost everything. I have seen a few reviews on that sword that lead me to say that it is decent and wont fall apart.

That sword has been discussed here before. It can be had for well under $100. It will not fall apart - the one hanging on my wall is close to 1/4" at the spine. It's a heavy, unwieldy beast.

Is there any info on a supplier for said cutlass?

Hawkyns

Cannon add dignity to what otherwise would be merely an ugly brawl

I do what I do for my own reasons.

I do not require anyone to follow me.

I do not require society's approval for my actions or beliefs.

if I am to be judged, let me be judged in the pure light of history, not the harsh glare of modern trends.

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I'm fairly sure it's not in the Rijksmuseum because I've been there several times and I'd surely have noted a mid-17thC cutlass - could be wrong though. I'm almost positive it's not in the museum at Delft because a: I've worked there a couple of times so I'm pretty familiar with most of their collection, and b: I have a copy of their exhibition catalogue of 17thC arms on my bookcase (one of my all-time favourite books of pretty pictures...) and it's definitely not in there.

I'm interested particularly for two reasons. Firstly because it's a cutlass type which has generally been discounted as period for GAoP by, well, just about everybody, so evidence to the contrary would be interesting. Secondly because there are a handful of folks working on 17thC Dutch kit, so gear from that period and location are of a general interest anyway.

Foxe

"With this Fore-Staff he fansies he does Wonders, when, God knows, it amounts to no more but only to solve that simple Question, Where are we? Which every chi'd in London can tell you." - Ned Ward The Wooden World Dissected, 1707


ETFox.co.uk

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My favorite is the English Infantry Hanger(I got mine from GoF :unsure: (thanks)).... they are from some tyme about mid 1700....

made in India....they sell for about $65.00....but the blade shape is right fer period........(well as a hunting hanger)

grab yer file, and ground off the peaned over tang.... take the sucker all apart....refit it into a hunting sword.....

I bought a chunk of antler and fitted that to the tang, I still have to make a good gard for it.,...but , dang they are realy close.

I may not be able to forge a blade, but I can work on the fittings.... an for a "starting Sword"... it works.....

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I'd say that the first one that Cal posted would be what I would go with if I was trying to get something under 100. Simple design that works well with almost everything. I have seen a few reviews on that sword that lead me to say that it is decent and wont fall apart.

That sword has been discussed here before. It can be had for well under $100. It will not fall apart - the one hanging on my wall is close to 1/4" at the spine. It's a heavy, unwieldy beast.

Is there any info on a supplier for said cutlass?

Hawkyns

Grendel's Cave usually has them through their eBay store; usually for around $60.

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My favorite is the English Infantry Hanger(I got mine from GoF :unsure: (thanks)).... they are from some tyme about mid 1700....

made in India....they sell for about $65.00....but the blade shape is right fer period........(well as a hunting hanger)

grab yer file, and ground off the peaned over tang.... take the sucker all apart....refit it into a hunting sword.....

I bought a chunk of antler and fitted that to the tang, I still have to make a good gard for it.,...but , dang they are realy close.

I may not be able to forge a blade, but I can work on the fittings.... an for a "starting Sword"... it works.....

I've seen Patrick's Hanger...He did a beautiful job on it. I carry an officer's 1753 Hanger that has a 3 bar basket and I'm very envious of Patrick's. It's more useable for fighting.

galleon_25235_th1.gif Iron Hand's Plunder Purveyor of Quality Goodes of questionable origins
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Would every Pirate/Bucaneer/Sailor/Marine have had a sword of some sort?

You might think that the most sailors would do with a big nife or some sort of machetee and bording axe...

Considering the more simple designs how about these from Armourclass:

http://www.armourclass.com/Data/Pages/17Century_8.htm

http://www.armourclass.com/Data/Pages/17Century_7.htm

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Can't go wrong with Armourclass.

Would every sailor have a sword?

No. And probably not a large knife either. Rigging knife, yes.

Boarding axes and non-officer's swords were ship's property.

Buccaneers? Aye, knives and machetes are documented.

Pyrates? Well now, should we move this over to Twill?

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