Things I made in my armory...

[LaCroix]

Oh, and sneak preview:

Making another KuK infantry saber - my skills have improved a lot since back then....

[Thanas]

I like to think the user survived - did they sent their blade back home to the family when an officer died? I don't think so. Maybe it was an important battle, so he kept it as a memento, or he just took it back home, hoping to repair, and it would have cost more than a new one (or the fashion had changed, so he had to keep up), and he just gave it to a kid as a toy while getting himself a new one.

If it was personal property, I don't see why it would not be turned over to the heirs with his sea chest.

[U.P. Cinnabar]

I'd have thought he'd been buried with it, if he'd been KIA.

[Thanas]

I'd have thought he'd been buried with it, if he'd been KIA.

Why?

[Crazedwraith]

Didn't they generally hawk your stuff to the rest of the crew when you died? Not keep it.

[U.P. Cinnabar]

I don't think officers did that to other officers. Middies perhaps, but not officers.

[LaCroix]

I like to think the user survived - did they sent their blade back home to the family when an officer died? I don't think so. Maybe it was an important battle, so he kept it as a memento, or he just took it back home, hoping to repair, and it would have cost more than a new one (or the fashion had changed, so he had to keep up), and he just gave it to a kid as a toy while getting himself a new one.

If it was personal property, I don't see why it would not be turned over to the heirs with his sea chest.

You are right, that makes sense - an officer's belongings would be returned, and his blade would be easy to identify amongst the others lying nearby. I was wondering wether it would have been included in his last finery when he would be buried at sea or not. In hindsight, armed burial has come out of style since the high middle ages, so yes - why would they do it now.

As I said, I'd like to think he survived that battle. Most of all, because it seemed to be so one-sided - he was pressing hard on some people who were not really able to fight back. But there is always that lead ball with your name on it, I guess. We'll never know.

[Thanas]

Usually people who get their sidearms wedged into something in close quarters battles are in big trouble.

[fordlltwm]

Just a thought, but could it be a crude Prince of Wales Feathers rather than a fleur de lis? They're pretty similiar especially at that resolution
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_of ... s_feathers

[LaCroix]

Standard reply: Maybe...
(Although that would be VERY sloppy... It's one of the better cast/least worn features, and it is a pretty distinct shape.)

More likely, though - it was German (Solingen) made, and in bulk. So they most likely did use a design that wasn't quite nation specific, and just what they thought to be pretty. They could explain it away as irrelevant or specially point it out, depending on whom they were selling to. Since it is a off-the shelf mass product for low-ranking naval officers, I doubt it would come up, often. If someone was bothered and had coin, he could always get a bespoke piece...

[LaCroix]

Model 1898 KuK Infantry sabre (training version)
Sadly, jsut in the half-polished state.
The pictures I took after finishing the polishing got scrambled, somehow, so I only have them at 300something-ish - grind with some pitting still visible.
Just imagine it being nice and shiny like the other ones, mmmkayyy?


Copy of the original I have at home.
85cm blade, 830 grams. POB 8cm from the guard.
(33 1/2 inches blade,1lb 13oz, 3 1/8 inches POB)
Dedicated training weapon, thus blunt edged.



Guard is dished steel, with a weld-on rim. (The original was cast) The rim has blade-catching properties, as with the original
Grip is one inch elongated because of training glove. (The original was really tight fit for it.) Guard is lined with fabrik to protect the glove from wear and stain.
Leather finger strap.
Grip is wood with buffalo leather cover. Seamline is visible on this photo angle- it is at this particular place because you barely ever touch it there.
Upper grip is D-shaped, the back is flat for the thumb to rest on (to index the edge alignment). Thus, I added a finer ribbing there on the flat, as well, to prevent slippage.

As usual, for weapons intended to be used, it has a threaded nut at the pommel end to allow for adjustment/service/modification. The extra threads of the tang are if he decides for some thicker leather in the finger loop, a second nut if he needs a tighter fit, padding at the bottom, etc.

The threads extend 15mm in, in case he wants to have the grip shortened at some time.

[LaCroix]

Material is 56Si7 Spring steel (1.5027 or14260), usually used to make training rapiers. The blade will flex, but not as seriously as a rapier, because of profile. Only the foible is thin enough to act like a rapier blade, so you have about 30cm of flex, the rest is too thick to flex under human thrust power.
That's why most originals have a slightly bent tip - someone rammed it into someone like a madman during training.

[Thanas]

Oh I like this very much.

[LaCroix]

Sneak peek...

Fun with inlays... Copper in steel

[LaCroix]

Cheesy artsy scenic sneak preview...

[LaCroix]

WIP lower guard

[LaCroix]

Construction was done the authentic way.
All parts are peened, even the guard.

A very painstaking process, but it was the reason why most finds still had all parts in place.
Also, it makes assembly much esier if nothing wobbles around on you.

And now, the final result...
71cm/28 inches blade of CR/V alloy tool steel (it carves mild steel without even scratching)
9cm/3.5 inch handle (The original ones are even smaller - 8 to 8.5 cm. This is done so that the pommel rests in your hand for edge alignment.)
88cm/ 34.5in total lenght.

All guards are inlaid with copper lines and dots.
There are some reproductions using only engraved lines... I first though I'd make it like that, too, but the original almost always had inlays, they simply sometimes fell out/rotted away in case of copper. The sword itself was already so valuable, the cost of some gold&worktime to inlay even very intricate designs was neglible, so people really went all-out on them. This one would be a cheap entry level.

Ash and buckskin grip.

[LaCroix]

10KW electric furnace. 3 seperatly controlled areas, sensors and termostat. Vertical. 170cm total height (5'8", I think)
(Yeeees, I need a ladder, but I needed that anyway to dip a sword into an oil tube.)

Replaces the horizontal 10 flame Gas furnace, which was a PITA to operate and not to warp a sword on transfer to the oil.



Control Box - in °C - at low temperature - it has switches for the 3 coil sections (currently off), the regulators are always on.


at 850°C (about a million degrees F, I assume)


Can be used to up to 1200°C, but who needs that.

Still needs some beauty work on the outer cladding, and mounting&safeguarding of the electric, but it works now. I only touch an of it when the switches are off - as always, your brain is the most important safety measure.